Commissions
by unashamed-shipper
Summary: All of the commissions that I was requested to write :) Commissions are open right now, so feel free to message me if you are interested!
1. A Soul's Desire

A/N: This is a commission for sanguine-fairy! Please check out her tumblr for me. Commissions are open, and I would love to discuss prices and what I can do for you as a writer!

You may have seen this story before, and that is because I mistakenly put it under 'The Fairies' Tales' instead of this one. I hope you enjoy anyway!

* * *

"I'm Erza Scarlet, and I'm your class president. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask," she said with a smile that pierced through his heart. And at that moment, he knew he was doomed.

It was even harder when she sat right in front of him, her shiny red hair cascading over his desk when she would flick it behind her ear when she was concentrating. Erza would always stick out her tongue too which Jellal thought endearing. He was looking even when she thought he was not, and when she glanced back behind her he pretended to be extremely focused on his work.

He had harbored a crush on her ever since the third grade when she beat up someone that was bullying one of her friends. Jellal watched from behind a tree, amazed at this pretty girl whose hair was the most gorgeous color he had ever seen in his life. It was fitting that her last name was Scarlet, and the more he learned about her he became more entranced.

She was the star on the fencing team at her school, and she got all straight A's despite the adversity. Erza was smart, talented, and beautiful. All three of those things made him fall more in love with her every day. Even when she didn't notice him throughout all of the nine years afterward that they went to school together, he didn't give it a single care. When Jellal ended up in her history class this year, he thought it a stroke of luck.

But there was only one problem.

He was good at history, really. He had gotten all A's in it all the years up to his senior year. But now that Erza was sitting in front of him, raising her hand and flicking her perfumed hair behind her ear, it was near impossible to concentrate. That meant dropping grades, and dropping grades meant feeling more like a failure than he already was. He had to find a solution to this, and fast.

When class finally let out, he gathered up all his courage and waited until she was finished talking with her friends. She turned her eyes towards him, and he practically had a heart attack when his brown eyes looked into his dark ones.

"Miss Scarlet?" he asked timidly, looking down into her eyes, trying not to shake.

"Mr. Fernandes. Did you have a question?" she asked, her smile warming his heart once more. Her hair was in soft curls today, and when she flipped it over her shoulder he had smelled cinnamon.

This was it. This was the time to confess. With a soft smile, he opened his mouth, and-

"Would you do me a favor and tutor me?" he asked, and mentally face palmed. That was not the question he intended to ask!

"Of course. I'm always here to help a fellow student," she said, and Jellal said thank you with a faux smile and walked away. When he got far enough away, he mentally cursed himself. What was he thinking asking her to tutor him? Great, now he was going to have to play dumb in front of her! And she

Things couldn't get any worse than this.

* * *

"Jellal-san asked Erza-san to tutor him? That is fantastic! Juvia is very happy for the both of you," Juvia said, delicately placing a chip in her mouth and chewing.

"Why didn't you just man up and ask her out?" Natsu asked, throwing an arm around Lucy. Lucy giggled and kissed Natsu on the cheek, which made the man turn a brighter pink than his hair was.

"To be honest, I'm not sure myself. She was so beautiful that I said the first thing that came to my mind," Jellal said, looking down at his lunch in dismay.

"And that thing wasn't, 'You're so beautiful, please date me'?" Lucy asked with a laugh, and everyone at the table chuckled.

When Jellal was silent, Lucy laid a hand on his arm. "Relax, I was kidding. I completely understand what you mean. But Erza needs to get to know you first before you ask her to date you. She likes to take things slow."

"I see. Thank you for telling me, Lucy," Jellal said, rising from his chair. "Please excuse me, I have a tutoring session with Miss Scarlet now."

After he left, there was silence for a few moments as everyone finished their food. Finally Gray piped up after everyone finished, clearing his throat.

"Do you think he knows that she's liked him since second grade?" he asked, chewing the last bite of his burger.

"Doubt it," Lucy replied with a smirk. Boy, was Jellal ever in for the shock of his life.

* * *

"Have you gone over the greek mythology unit yet? It is our biggest unit, and worth the most points," Erza said, tapping the outline and notes with her pencil.

"Ah, no. I haven't," he said, leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed. He wanted to look relaxed even though inside he was practically screaming at himself to just ask her out.

"Alright, then. We'll start with Eros and Psyche. It's one of the lesser known ones, so pay attention," Erza told him, her eyes flicking to his. His heart squeezed at her glance, and he nodded and clenched his teeth to not make a strangled noise.

As she told him the story, he listened with interest. Psyche was a princess, and a beautiful one at that. Her admirers decided to make pilgrimage to her instead of the goddess Aphrodite, so the goddess in rage commissions Eros to work her revenge. Upon seeing Psyche, Eros accidentally was stunned by her beauty and scratched himself with his arrow, which made him fall in love at first sight. Later, Psyche and Eros married at the wrath of Aphrodite.

"Are you listening, Jellal?" Erza asked, and Jellal looked into her eyes.

"Intently," he told her, and Erza flushed at the direct eye contact. Shaking her head softly, she turned her gaze back to the paper.

"I will now ask you some questions. What can we learn from this story?"

"Love knows no limits or bounds. Even if the gods themselves deny love, only the two in love can decide their own destiny," Jellal responded, and Erza looked up in surprise.

"That's right," she said, tipping her head to the side in interest. "Are you quite sure you need me to tutor you? You seem to know the topic well."

Jellal gulped. He couldn't mess up this time. She would either accept or deny his request, and if he never asked he would never know the answer.

"Erza," he said, using her name for the first time in front of her. She was always 'Miss Scarlet' to him, but when he used her real name, she knew there was something different about him.

"Yes?" she asked, peeking through her lashes at him. He reached to grasp her hand and lifted her up from her seat, holding her gaze all the while.

"If Eros and Psyche can have their love, even in the adversity that they faced...do you believe we might be able to have our own?" he asked, lifting the back of her hand and kissing it.

Erza was silent for a moment, and then she smiled. "Yes, I do believe so," she said, a smile on her face. She realized in that moment that he wasn't the small boy that fell in love with her in the third grade, and she was no longer the little girl who peeked at the good-looking boy behind the curtains of the theatre stage. They were a man and a woman now, which gave them all the more reason to love.

They stared into each other's eyes for a moment, his dark eyes looking lovingly into hers. The gaze gave him courage to do something that he hadn't done before-a sweet embrace.

He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek tenderly, knowing that maybe one day he might be courageous enough to kiss her lips. He wasn't a cowardly man, but he heeded Lucy's words. Erza liked to take things slow, and he was willing to go a turtle's pace if that meant he could be with the woman of his dreams.

Eros and Psyche might have had a mythological love of legends, but Jellal and Erza's was a true story that would be passed on for generations to come.


	2. Dance With Me

Commission for shadoouge on tumblr. Thank you so much, my dear! 3

* * *

"Long day?" Natsu asked as Lucy groaned, kicking off her shoes and settling into the couch in the living room with a long sigh.

"Tell me about it. First I do the report that my boss wanted me to finish, but he said that it wasn't good enough and sent me back to write it over again! And then my lunch was spoiled, Levy wasn't there for me to rant to, and a couple of my coworkers were being rude to me," Lucy said, leaning back into the couch and tipping her head back to touch the cushion.

"I know something that will cheer you up, Luce," he said, turning on the music and taking her hand. Natsu grinned as he twirled Lucy around the room, letting out a chuckle when she accidentally stepped on his feet. The radio played a classical tune, which was Lucy's favorite. He had planned this before she got home from work, and she was excited for their dancing time.

"Sorry!" she said as she was spun once again, and she squealed when he dipped her low and kissed her firmly. His lips felt like magic to her, and they indulged in their kisses for a few moments. Natsu also loved kissing his wife as her mouth knew how to work wonders.

When they broke apart, Lucy smiled softly. Natsu was almost as shocked from her beautiful smile as he was from the electricity of her kiss. Leaning in to give her one last peck, Lucy closed her eyes slowly as Natsu appoached. Their lips drew closer, and Lucy could feel the heat of his breath on her face. She pushed herself toward him, waiting for their lips to connect in bliss–

"Ew!" a tiny voice said, and Lucy let out the tiniest breath and opened her eyes before turning to their daughter. The small girl of three's eyes were shut tightly and her tongue out in disgust.

"Nashi," Natsu began gently, dropping to his knees to look his small daughter in the eyes, "What did we say about interrupting mom and dad's dancing time?"

"That it might lead to more than dancing," the girl answered, hopping up and down when she got the right answer. Plue followed behind her and let out his signature catch phrase.

"Natsu! You said that to Nashi?" Lucy smacked her husband on the head, and Natsu groaned at the pain.

"Well, she has to know about it somehow," he said, rubbing the sore spot now.

"Yes, but not at three years old!" Lucy pouted, crossing her arms over her chest and turning away from Natsu.

He ran a hand through his rose locks. Uh-oh, she was mad. And he had to remedy this situation somehow.

"Nashi," he said after thinking of a solution, "Let's play the tickle game."

"Yay! I love that game. Who's our victim this time?" Nashi asked with a grin just like her father's. Lucy had to wonder where, or who, she learned the word 'victim' from.

She had a pretty good idea. Natsu's eyes were lit with exhilaration and his grin was as malicious as his daughter's. Like father, like daughter, she supposed.

"Mommy's it. Now go get her!" Natsu said, and Lucy jumped.

"What?" Lucy shouted, her eyes wide. Surely they weren't planning–!

"Three," Natsu began, crouching at the ready.

"Two," Nashi continued, copying her father.

"One," Igneel came from behind Lucy with Happy in his arms with a grin unlike the other two.

"Go!" Happy shouted, and all four pounced on Lucy and began to tickle her with nimble fingers.

Lucy shrieked, trying to get out of Natsu's grip. Natsu grinned. "I'll hold her down, you tickle her!"

"Okay, daddy!" Nashi said, wiggling her tiny fingers over Lucy's stomach.

Lucy couldn't help but laugh as Igneel tickled her neck and Happy flew over them like a referee, telling them who won in the end.

The game was to see how many tickles they could get in and how many times they could make the ticklee laugh. If they won, they got the first plate at dinner that night or breakfast that morning. It was made up when Lucy was pregnant with Nashi, and Lucy was very annoyed with Natsu.

"Why don't you just tickle her, Natsu? I'm sure it will cheer her up!" Happy had suggested with a grin, wiggling his tiny paws.

"Don't you dare, stupid cat!" Lucy shouted, and Natsu covered his ears.

"That's not a bad idea, Happy," Natsu said, rubbing his jaw and looking at Lucy evilly. "I think I'll try that out right now."

"Don't you try that, Natsu Dragneel! No tickling is going to help me feel better!" Lucy yelled, but soon found herself laughing as Natsu's thin fingers pressed themselves into her neck.

The game continued on until Natsu won, and Lucy cheered up and began to scoop herself some ice cream.

"What do you say that we have our kids play that game when they are young?" Natsu proposed the idea, and Lucy thought about it for a moment.

"I think that's a great idea!" she said with a nod, spooning the ice cream into her mouth with fervour.

Lucy was reminded of the memory as Natsu tickled her with a malicious smile, and Happy called ten seconds until the game was over.

Igneel remembered something with a flash–his mother was ticklish at the feet! Quickly, he moved over to her and started to laugh and tickle the soles of her feet.

"Aah! Stop!" Lucy yelled, attempting to reach for her son as he tickled her. She was pressed down by Natsu's hands, and she looked up into his eyes. They were bright with excitement and malicious intent.

"Don't try to get away, Lucy!" Natsu laughed, finally letting go when Happy called time.

"The winner is Igneel!" Happy announced, and the small boy gathered the exceed into his arms with a shout of joy.

"Alright, time for your nap," Lucy said, and her children groaned.

"Can we stay up?" Igneel said, his eyes now looking like a puppy dog's.

"Yeah, dad, do we have to?" Nashi asked, and Natsu had a brilliant idea.

"No! You two can stay up! We're just going to tell each other how much we love each other. Right, honey?" Natsu said, and Lucy understood. They embraced each other and pretended to kiss, angling their faces away from their children and making kissy noises.

"Ew! Goodnight!" Nashi and Igneel ran to their rooms, leaving their parents alone to laugh.

Natsu went to the radio to turn on the music again, holding out his hand for his wife. His eyes were soft and his mouth was curved gently. "May I have this dance?"

She took his hand with a smile of her own. "You may."


	3. At First Glance

Commission for levslegs on tumblr. Thank you for commissioning me, dear!

A/N: You may have read this story before, and that is because I mistakenly put this under 'The Fairies Tales' instead of this one. Sorry about that! I hope you enjoy nonetheless!

* * *

At first glance, Gajeel didn't think much of the small girl he saw in Fairy Tail before he crucified her and her friends to a tree. He snatched her up with a sneer on his face as Jet and Droy fired their attacks at him to no avail, and darted to the nearest tree before grabbing her friends.

"Please," she had said, "leave my friends alone."

It almost made him want to. Her eyes full of light and a stubbornness that he had never seen in a woman before-especially a woman of her height. He stopped the dagger for a moment before cutting her leg. She cried out in pain, but he kept on even though it pained him as well.

'I hate doin' this,' his thoughts pressed into his brain, "but she's the enemy. And so are they.'

As he bruised Jet and Droy, her eyes stayed the same. And it made him ever so aware of how bright they were.

At second glance, he knew her name. She walked right up to him with a grin on her face and told him her name, reaching out her hand.

"I'm glad you joined Fairy Tail," she told him, "everyone deserves a second chance, you know!"

Gajeel scowled and walked away, feeling her eyes burn a hole into his back. She was confused for sure, but he didn't believe in second chances. He never would, especially knowing what he did to her.

The next day, he was drinking his whiskey slowly with more doubt than he had ever had in his mind. Was he really, truly part of Fairy Tail? Everyone accepted him as their own, including Levy herself. Jet and Droy were the only ones that still hated him, but that was obvious.

Gajeel wasn't meant to have doubt. He was meant to be arrogantly confident at all times. At least, that's what Jose nailed into his head when he brought him into Phantom Lord at a young age. But this feeling was not what he was used to. It seeped into his soul and curled around his lungs, intoxicating him moment by moment.

He felt ashamed.

Levy wasn't the first that he had brought agony on, and he was positive she wouldn't be the last. He was destined to hurt, and she was destined to comfort. He was a tornado and she was sunshine. He was suffering and she was love.

Gajeel's sense of shame for liking her burned his insides like his whiskey. She was gorgeous in her own right, and she wasn't what he would usually go for. The girls he usually dated, or had relations with were busty and airheaded as hell, and Levy was anything but. The girl was razor sharp and her body was tinier than he had ever seen a person. But she radiated light. Her whole being was full of kindness and a quiet grace. He was jealous of how strong she was.

And he could never love her, no matter how much he wanted to.

At third glance, she could see both the love and irritation she had for him when she looked into his eyes. Her soft eyes were kind, but when she was faced with a comment about her height she turned into even more of a demon than Mirajane. Boy, was she ever feisty!

And he liked that about her. She could hold her own, and that's what he needed in a woman. Someone that would keep him in line. And she definitely showed that to him while they were on Tenrou together-whacking him with her purse was something he never expected from the tiny mage, yet it made him admire her more.

When he awoke, he heard her screams and arose to protect her. Nothing was going to take away his girl from him. Even though she didn't know, he was slowly falling in love with her.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked, confused at why they were going into the woods. He lead her by the hand into the forest where she looked around with a wary eye. The fourth glance was the one he had when he looked behind him at her trailing behind him. Her eyes were full of stubbornness now, and he loved that.

"It'll be worth your while, I promise," he said, turning back around and grinning from ear to ear. Today would be the day he proposed to her.

They had been dating for ten months now, and things had gotten better with time. Jet and Droy finally dealt with their hatred and forgave him for what he did, which made him feel a little less ashamed. But Levy herself was a mystery.

They hadn't said that they loved one another yet, and Gajeel was nervous. Did that mean this would be a flop?

As they made it into a clearing, she saw a small bookcase made of wood in the middle of it by a tree. Dashing toward it, Levy began jumping up and down when she saw all of her favorites. Naming off the titles, she grinned when Gajeel came up by her side with his arms folded, glancing down at her with a soft grin.

"You did this for me?" she asked, looking into his eyes with the grin that he liked so much. Her eyes were even brighter than on the first day they met, which shocked him into realizing the weight of what he was about to do.

'What if she says no?' he had to wonder before starting to sweat, 'Why would she ever go for a guy like me? I hung her to a fucking tree!'

His concerns of the past began to cloud around him, and he sank to the ground. Levy rushed to his side quickly, a surprised look on her face. "Gajeel! What's the matter?"

"Levy, do you love me?" he asked, and he instantly regretted it, squeezing his eyes shut. How stupid was he to ask the girl he loved if she loved him back?

"Of course, stupid!" she said, smacking him on the head. Gajeel rubbed his head with his palm before turning his eyes to hers.

"Y-ya do?" he asked, his eyes full of shock.

"Yes, silly! Why would I have dated you this long if I didn't love you?" she giggled, sitting on his knees delicately. In a smooth motion, his arms were around her waist and they were kissing. They enjoyed the moment for a while, and then when they broke apart both had smiles on their faces.

"I guess I have a question to ask you," he said, lifting her up so she stood and rising to one knee. Levy gasped and her hands flew to her face.

"Levy McGarden, will you marry me?" he asked, and she threw herself in his arms.

"Yes!" Levy said before she kissed him again, and once she got her bearings together after the kiss he pushed the small ring onto her finger. It was a white gold ring with small vines and an aquamarine stone placed in a setting. Levy admired it, and Gajeel teared up while seeing her beaming face.

And at the final glance before becoming her husband, Gajeel teared up for the first time since she said he would marry him. Her dress was as beautiful as she was on that day, and she looked like the princess she was destined to be. As she walked down the aisle, he could barely hold in his emotions. She was so gorgeous, and he couldn't believe she was his.

She looked at him and in her eyes held the happiness of a lifetime. She began to cry when she saw him in his tux and her Fairy Tail family standing next to him. Lucy, Juvia, Cana, and Mirajane stood on her side and Natsu, Gray, Jet, and Droy stood by his. Yet her eyes were only on Gajeel.

All the things that lead up to this moment were pure destiny. Fate had brought them together, and hell would be the only thing that could ever tear them apart. But Gajeel would never stand for that, no, he would fight for his woman and their eventual children.

As they said their vows, Gajeel began to really cry. It wasn't an emotion he was used to, but he'd be damned if he ever passed it by. Tears streamed out of his eyes readily when she told him she loved him more than she had ever loved anyone else in this world, and that she would make him the happiest man alive. Levy's eyes leaked tears as Gajeel began his own speech, telling her that he would have never imagined that he would have met a girl like her. That his past in Phantom Lord, present in Fairy Tail, and future with their children would forever be hers, and she threw herself in his arms and hugged him tight.

When Warrod announced that Gajeel could kiss her, he grasped her by the shoulders softly and kissed her with all his might. He never wanted to let her go.

And he never would.

"May I pronounce to you today: Mr. and Mrs. Redfox."


	4. Sleeping Desire

Commission for fairytails-nakama on tumblr! I hope you enjoyed, love!

You may have seen this before, and that is because I put it under 'The Fairies' Tales' before I could make an actual commissions story. I hope you enjoy nonetheless 3

* * *

Natsu looked at Lucy's sleeping form, ever so aware of her rising and falling breaths. She was beautiful and ethereal and full of light. And he was a demon.

He knew it from the moment he met her: he was hopelessly in love. She was amazing. Her power had risen, he could see it that much. And she had grown even more stunning in the last year, becoming smarter and more stubborn than he had ever seen her. She was illuminated by the beauty of her soul.

But how was an ugly demon supposed to love a human? Better yet, a human that was so gorgeous like her?

He was destined to kill, and she was destined to bring life. She was fated to live, he was fated to die. And he was a spriggan, the most hideous creature in the world.

How could he love someone like her when she was going to suffer in the end because of it?

He sighed, running a hand through his hair and pressing his head against the board of strings and papers that she made while he was away. She had put so much effort into this, to finding her lost guild members. And she had even sent letters to them.

A pang resonated in his heart as he realized that she hadn't written a letter to him.

It didn't matter, his mind said, but his heart thought otherwise. He wanted a letter from her. But she was so angry, and she still was. She seemed happy to see him, but her eyes told another story. She wanted him to say he was sorry. Which he would...but not now. Now it was too fresh.

He turned his head to look at her, his arm resting on the paper. Her hair splayed over her shoulders which looked like a golden waterfall, and her breasts heaved with every breath. Her face looked so calm, and he wanted to kiss her.

But he couldn't. Not after what he did.

"What am I supposed to do, old man? I love her!" Natsu told Gildarts, a sweatdrop pouring down his face.

"Listen, kid. I met Cornelia when I was a young man, and she was gorgeous. I mean, she was boom, boom, pow, if you know what I mean," Gildarts said, motioning with his hands like an hourglass shape.

Natsu shook his head with a grin, but his concerned look was back in seconds. "I mean, she'll hate me when I come back. I left her with nothing but a note!"

"Hey. Don't worry about that," Gildarts said, placing an arm around Natsu's shoulders. "If she's the right girl for you, she'll come back."

There was silence for a few moments. It was comfortable, but still an unease crept into the spot by the lake they were sitting at. Sweat continued pouring down Natsu's forehead; his mind was racing which made everything in him nervous.

"Besides, it was Cornelia's spirit that attracted me to her in the first place. Not even her body could distract from that stubborn spirit of hers that is in Cana," Gildarts said with a soft grin after a moment, and Natsu shook his head.

"I guess we like our women stubborn," Natsu said with a laugh and a short shake of the head.

"You got that right. Now, let's fight!" Gildarts said, punching Natsu in the arm.

He turned his eyes toward the paper in order not to look at her, and he smiled when she sighed heavily in her sleep. She really was pretty…

But he could have nothing to do with her. He loved her, but it was forbidden. They would for sure have a tortured love, and he knew that. But he could do nothing about it.

He wanted nothing more than to sleep next to her, to feel her body on his. Her soft, warm skin up against his roughness and slumber quietly and wake up in the morning and spend the day together.

But it was impossible. She would awaken and see that he was next to her and hit him with a pillow like last time he slept in her bed.

But what would be the harm? They were close, and sometimes even Lucy and Levy shared a bed. He heard that little tidbit from Cana, and he thought it interesting. So what was the big deal about him sleeping next to her?

"Natsu?" Happy asked, and Natsu realized that he forgot that his exceed was there. He turned toward Happy, a solemn look on his face.

"Happy, I'm going to sleep next to Lucy," Natsu said to him, and Happy wore a surprised look on his face.

"Are you sure? She's still mad at you," Happy said quietly, looking down at his feet.

"Yeah. I'll see you in the morning," Natsu said before nuzzling his best friend close into his neck. Happy nodded and gave Natsu a weak smile before flying off, and Natsu inched carefully toward her bed.

He really shouldn't do this. His body felt warm with adrenaline and doubt, but he knew he wasn't stopping anytime soon.

Even still, he tiptoed closer. He loved her. And nothing would come in the way of that.

Carefully tossing the covers aside, he pressed his body up against hers. She felt warm and inviting, just like he liked. And she made everything in him feel loved and cared for. Everything that Lucy stood for was perfect like her. She was filled to the brim with justice and righteousness. And he loved her for that.

And even if he was a disgusting creature that was going to kill, she might still love him. It was a far cry away from what he knew, but her possible love trumped her anger. Her anger would fade once he begged for forgiveness, and he needed to do that right away. Natsu knew that he had done wrong, and that she might still be angry with him for a while.

But he was snuggled up with her, her soft sighs reverberating through her back and into his chest. Tenatively, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, making positive not to hurt her or have her awaken.

But she just mumbled in her sleep. And the words that she said would haunt him forever.

"I love you, Natsu."

He drew in a breath quickly but softly, aware that she was still awake. She loved him? Him, someone that would kill everything that she loved?

As he fell asleep, he understood the meaning of love for the first time. It was patient and kind, and it would forgive no matter what. And Natsu himself hoped that she would forgive him one day.

And that was all that mattered.


	5. Cats & Coffee

"What do you want today?" Natsu would always ask, and Lucy's answer was always the same.

"Small Christmas Tree, please," she would reply, and Natsu began to mix up the green tea drink with a shot of raspberry, peppermint, and vanilla.

"If you got coffee you'd be more awake for your exams, you know," he teased, and she pouted.

"I don't know how people can drink that stuff," she said, and as he handed her the drink he grinned.

"I've been drinking it since I was twelve. Your tastebuds kind of die after that," Natsu said, slurping his own coffee as she drank her tea.

"Obviously," she said before taking a sip, paying him and popping a tip in the jar before walking out the door. "Have a nice day, Natsu!"

Her smile shocked him. "Yeah," he said quietly, rubbing the back of his neck, "you too."

The next morning, Lucy made her way into the small coffee shop, stopping to pet Happy along the way. Natsu's cat and many other cats hung out and sometimes drank small dishes of decaffeinated tea or coffee while they played with their toys. Most coffee shops scowled upon them for having cats, but the people who went into the shop loved them. Lector and Frosch were almost inseparable, snuggling up whenever they got the chance. Pantherlily only drank black decaf coffee. He liked tea too, but would let Carla have the tea that he didn't drink. Happy was the only one who would only eat the food and water that Natsu gave him, and would sometimes hop up on the counter to climb up Natsu's shoulders while he was making a drink.

"Hey, Luce. What do you want today?"

"Same as usual," she said, not using the normal words she would use. She was surprised to see that Natsu was now wearing a santa hat that clashed with his rose hair, and she grinned when she found Happy wearing a tiny one of his own.

"Sure," he replied with a grin, one that made her smile back. His smile always cheered her up, even when she had a major test like today.

"Can you add a caffeine supplement to that? I know you have them," Lucy teased, knowing that Natsu hid them from her. The last time she got them she wrote a eight page paper in less than two hours. When they went to look at it out of curiosity, however, it was all screwed up garbage that had to be tossed and remade. Lucy went totally crazy when she had that, and so Natsu put his foot down and said no even when she asked.

He sighed. "Do you have a test today?"

"Yes. An important one," her voice was pleading, and she knew he couldn't resist her charms.

Natsu ran a hand through the hair that was not covered by the hat. "Fine. But only a quarter of one. We don't want that shit to happen again."

"Oh, thank you! I owe you one!" Lucy said, grinning and grabbing her drink before saying her goodbyes.

Gajeel and Rogue came from the back after watching dishes with smirks on their faces. Gajeel had his arms crossed over his chest, and Rogue eyed Natsu with a knowing look.

"Still have a crush on her, huh?" Gajeel said, lifting an arm to look at his grimy nails.

Natsu's face flushed. "N-No! She's my friend. She just likes the tea I make."

"I doubt that. You see the smile she gives you every day? She's waiting," Rogue pointed out, his smirk growing.

"Waiting? Waiting for what?" Natsu asked, and Gajeel thumped him on the head.

"For you to ask her out, idiot!"

"I can't do that! She's a customer!"

"Well, you said she was your friend too," Rogue said, raising his eyebrows at Natsu's remark.

"An' besides, she said you owe her. Now's your chance!" Gajeel said, and Natsu turned toward the door when he heard the clinking of the bell.

"Hi how can I help– Lucy?" Natsu said, confused when he saw her.

"I forgot to grab a snack. I didn't eat breakfast this morning. Silly me, right?" she said, knocking her forehead lightly with a grin. Her hair was covered in snow, and her cheeks were rosy.

"Ha, yeah," Natsu said intelligently, staring at her without shame. She looked so beautiful. Did he really want to ask a girl that out of his league out on a date?

Gajeel nudged him before he and Rogue left to go to the back, and Natsu asked what she wanted for a snack.

"Raspberry scone, please," she said, and he grabbed it with shaking hands and placed it in a small container.

"Wouldyouliketogooutonadatewithmesometime?" he asked, and her brows knitted together.

"Huh?"

He swallowed before slowing down his thoughts and his words. "Would–Would you like to go out on a date with me sometime? I heard that they have carriage rides downtown. I wanted to go, but I never had anyone to go with."

Lucy grinned. "I guess I do owe you one. And you are really nice and pretty cute. Okay, let's go!"

"When?" he asked, still shocked by the 'pretty cute' comment.

"Tomorrow evening. I don't have class then. But I've gotta get going now. See you!" she said, leaning over the counter to kiss him on the cheek, grinning from ear to ear once she knew that he couldn't see.

Natsu rubbed the spot where she kissed him, and he grinned.

Maybe it wasn't so bad that she didn't like coffee after all.


	6. Espresso Yourself

"I'd like a venti iced white mocha with no whip and light ice," the woman at the counter repeated once more, causing Lucy's anger levels to spike. She was a newbie at knowing coffee orders, but by the way the woman was treating her she had to remind herself to bite her tongue. Her manager Jellal had warned Lucy about the woman in a quiet voice when she walked in, but he forgot to mention that the customer was a regular.

"Of course. And would you like any syrups to go along with that?" Lucy asked with a saccharine smile, and the woman huffed.

"Toffee Nut. Didn't I mention that to you already?"

'No,' Lucy wanted to say, 'I must have left my mind reading skills at the door today.' The woman pinched the bridge of her nose, seemingly having a headache come on from such a problematic barista.

Funnily enough, Lucy felt one rising up the back of her neck herself.

"Five sixty-seven," Lucy said, the same grin creeping up her face. She had mastered the art of the fake smile quite young as boys would ask her out on a weekly basis that she had no interest in whatsoever.

As she began to make the drink, she contemplated spitting in it and serving it to the customer. Thankfully she held her tongue-quite literally-and continued making the drink until someone interrupted.

"Hey, Luce!" a voice said from up at the counter from where she made the nasty woman's drink.

"Natsu!" Lucy replied, her day instantly starting to turn around. "What would you like today?"

The man stood at the bar looking at all the treats the shop had to offer before making his decision, stroking his chin in fake contemplation. As he did this, Lucy handed the drink to her customer who stormed away without even a 'thank you'. She definitely didn't expect a tip from the woman, but it didn't take much to be a decent human being!

"I think I'm gonna try the marinara pretzel with extra hot sauce," Natsu said as soon as Lucy bustled over to the counter to help him. When he looked at her, his grin stretched across his face with genuinity. His eyes stared deep into hers as if he were searching for something.

"No problem," Lucy said after a few moments of silence, and she turned around as to not let him see a light flush dusting over her cheeks.

Mentally slapping herself on her cheeks, she pressed on and made the pretzel for him complete with the extra hot sauce that he so desired. As she handed it to him, his fingertips brushed over hers and her heart thumped in her chest a little louder than she was used to.

"Thanks," Natsu said with another one of those smiles, and Lucy sucked in a breath.

"You're welcome. See you tomorrow," Lucy replied, and before she knew it he had put a bill in the tip jar and sauntered out the door. She stared after him as a grin slowly grew on her face.

Tomorrow was going to be a great day.

* * *

'Or,' Lucy groaned internally, 'Maybe not.'

"I was here yesterday. You should remember my order." Nasty Woman-or NW, that is what Lucy would call her-was standing there again. NW was with her pet chihuahua this time, and the dog even seemed high maintenance as the woman stood there with a scowl on her face.

"Venti iced white mocha with no whip and light ice," Lucy recited like it was a mantra. Which it was-because she had repeated it to herself so much the night before that she could swear that she said it in her sleep.

"Good. Now maybe you'll be like all the other employees here-actually competent," the woman said with a smirk before sitting down. Once again, Lucy had the temptation of spitting in NW's drink, but she decided to go the high road once again.

Maybe it would pay off in seeing Natsu again.

Like clockwork, Natsu came in just as Lucy handed NW her drink with no pleasantries as always and ordered his marinara pretzel with extra hot sauce. A smile here, a gaze there, and a tip in the jar and he was gone once more. Lucy could barely stand it anymore. Every day was the same as before. All she wanted was to go after him.

"So why don't you?" Jellal said softly, approaching Lucy from where he stood cleaning the counter. "Go after him."

Lucy's mouth went dry as she realized she was speaking aloud.

"A-Are you sure?" she asked, and Jellal nodded.

"You've been a good employee, Lucy. That woman is hard to deal with, and every day you give her grace. It's time for a break," Jellal said with a rare smile, nodding his head toward the door.

Lucy didn't think twice before running out the door of the coffee shop, yelling Natsu's name like her life depended on it. And thankfully, she had caught him right before he got into his truck.

"What's up, Luce?" he asked with his eyebrows scrunched together. Lucy thought it was cute that his eyebrows didn't match his hair, but she would never say it aloud.

"Why do you always come in right after that woman?" Lucy asked, still panting from running so quickly.

Natsu once again stroked his chin in fake contemplation and then replied.

"It's nice to see the frown on your face turn into a smile. She doesn't even say thank you, that bitch, so I wanted to see you actually smile when I said thanks and put the tip in the jar," Natsu replied, and a smile began to make its way onto Lucy's face.

"I like the way you express yourself, Luce. You show on your face how you feel, and that reminds me of me, ya know?" Natsu grinned, and Lucy only grinned wider.

"Thank you, Natsu. That means a lot to me," Lucy said softly, leaning forward and kissing him on the cheek. Now it was Natsu's turn to look embarrassed as he blushed a tone that contrasted with his hair.

The two took a drive for the rest of Lucy's break in Natsu's truck, and he dropped her off at the coffee shop they met. The rest of her shift was uneventful compared to earlier in the day, but Lucy was thankful for that. Years later, they brought their daughter to that coffee shop, going outside to breathe in the warm summer air and share a pretzel at that same place they fell in love.


	7. Playing for Keeps

Lucy knew next to nothing about rugby. She knew that people could get easily injured while playing the sport: their arms could get broken or their faces badly beaten. She even knew someone who had their foot in a cast after all the bones in their foot were crushed. If she was honest, she cared little about the sport.

But she cared so much about one person that played it.

Natsu Dragneel had been her one and only crush all throughout high school. She entered into class one day like normal, and during a boring lecture she peered out the window and saw him throwing around a ball with his teammates. His rose colored hair shone in the sunlight and stood out against the rest of the hues of brown and black, catching her attention right away. After he tossed the ball to a teammate, Natsu looked up and saw her staring at him. He waved and smiled, which stole her heart and further took her attention away from class.

From that moment on, Natsu knew that they were destined to be friends. Yelling a quick goodbye to his friends, he bounded up the steps and began to search for her classroom. After a few moments of hunting, he burst into the room and asked who the 'weird blonde girl who was starin' at me,' was. Natsu's green eyes stared into hers when the entire class turned and gaped at Lucy, and a grin spread across his face as he strode toward her quickly and stood above her with his fists on his hips.

"Weirdo," he began, leaning over and picking her up out of her chair, "you're comin' with me."

Slinging over his shoulder, Natsu marched out of the classroom as the teacher and Lucy's classmates ogled the strange sight. Lucy pounded on his back with a shout, hoping to get someone's attention.

"Where are we going?" she asked, and Natsu grinned.

"We're playing hooky, Luce."

"How the hell do you know my name?" Lucy was surprised, and even more shocked that he now had a nickname for her.

Not that she didn't like it, though.

"Easy. Your homework had your name on it. You wanna go get ice cream?" he asked, and she sighed.

"I'm supposed to be learning, not eating desserts!" Lucy replied with a roll of her eyes. Was this guy completely insane?

"School is a drag, Luce. It's the same thing every day, and you gotta switch it up every once in awhile! So how about it?"

She found herself considering it. He was rather attractive, and she thought going to ice cream was somewhat of a date. But skipping school for something as insignificant as ice cream? It was very unlike her. She wasn't a straight-A student like her best friend, but she did want to get into college one day.

But what could one day hurt?

"I guess that's fine. Let me down, please," Lucy responded, and Natsu let her down.

"Awesome! I'm Natsu by the way. Natsu Dragneel. Nice to meet ya, Luce!" he smiled again, and her pulse raced.

Moments later they were at the ice cream shop. Lucy ordered a pistachio ice cream, which Natsu dubbed 'disgusting' as he piled on hot pepper flakes on his plain vanilla. Why the shop had pepper flakes as one of their toppings, Lucy would never know. As they sat down and began to eat, they began to realize that they were more suited for one another than they originally thought.

At least, Lucy hoped so.

The bell rang, shifting Lucy's thoughts back to the present. She saw Natsu sleeping in the chair next to her, and with a smile she nudged him awake a few times before he awakened.

"Luce? What time is it?" Natsu asked, and Lucy giggled.

"Class just finished. Time for lunch," she said, and Natsu practically hopped out of his chair despite being fast asleep moments before.

"Sweet!" he replied, getting ready to go out the door when he remembered something. Nervousness rushed through his body as he turned to Lucy with a smile.

"Uh, Luce?" he asked, "You're gonna come to my game tonight, right?"

The corners of Lucy's mouth turned up, and she peered into Natsu's eyes. He wanted her to watch him play? This was a first. Usually he just assumed that she would be there, but Lucy guessed that today was different. Maybe there was something finally changing between them.

"Of course, Natsu. See you then."

The game started right after school, and Lucy was more excited for Natsu than she ever had been. His team was facing off against a rival school's, and she was also nervous for their victory as well. The other team was undefeated, and their school had a few losses itself. Their team was one of the best, but sometimes testosterone got in the way of playing the sport correctly.

Lucy blew into her gloved hands as she sat outside in the cold, waiting for the players to come out from their hideout. She wanted to be the first to see Natsu, and so she parked herself at the very first seat in the stadium. Checking her watch, she noticed that it was only mere moments until they would be out.

"Waiting to see Natsu, Lu?" Levy teased as she flopped down into the seat next to her best friend, and Lucy swiped at her arm with a grin.

"Shush, Lev. It's not like you sat next to me so you could get a good look at Gajeel," Lucy poked Levy's cheek, and Levy batted it away with a palm.

"I sat next to you because you're my best friend, not because I like that stupid oaf," Levy said, grabbing her book bag and unzipping it to rummage around for a book.

"Sure you don't. Why do I see you in the back of the class again?" Lucy contemplated, tapping her pointer finger on her chin with a smirk, "Oh, that's right! Cause you get a 'full view of the board' when you sit back there."

Levy blew a raspberry at Lucy, and Lucy grinned victoriously back at her companion. She knew when Levy was lying quicker than everyone else did, and it was obvious that Levy had a slight crush on the tall guy who always seemed to be messing with her. Lucy had known Levy since they were children, and never once had Levy felt that way about someone. It was a nice change of pace for the girl who always seemed to be ignoring everyone else with her nose in a book.

After a few moments, the players finally came out of their HQ and the stadium cheered when Natsu was announced. Lucy cheered the loudest, of course, but she couldn't help but hear a few other feminine shouts screaming Natsu's name. Jealousy boiled within her, but she decided to ignore it. After all, she was the one that he invited to go watch his game with him, right?

Natsu threw his arms up in the air and roared, showing off his dominance to the opposing team. It was his signature move, and Lucy thought it was quite cute. He had done that ever since his first game that he played, and Lucy was there to see it.

The game started within a minute, with the referee blowing his whistle. The ball was passed a few times, and a goal was made quickly by the opposing team. Boos were heard from the Magnolia side of things, and then the next play started.

Everything happened so fast that Lucy could barely even comprehend what was happening. Natsu grabbed the ball and was about to throw it to someone else when he was tackled by a much bigger player, and Natsu went down quicker than Lucy had ever seen. A collective gasp went throughout the crowd, and Lucy covered her hands with her mouth.

"Natsu!" she shouted after her shock had taken place, "No!"

Instantly an ambulance was on the field, and two guys carrying a stretcher wheeled out and pushed Natsu onto it. Lucy pushed through her fright and hustled down the steps to see her friend and crush being taken into the ambulance. The last thing she saw was Natsu's eyes wandering to hers and then slowly shutting before she began running toward Levy.

"Lev?" Lucy asked, and Levy gathered up her things rapidly and held out a palm to Lucy to steady her. Sometimes the two would grasp palms when things got rough, and this was one of those times.

"You don't have to tell me twice, Lu. Let's go."

Lucy realized that when Levy told her that she would go as quickly as she could that she actually meant twenty miles over the speed limit. Lucy's stress levels were already at a high point, but possibly getting pulled over by the cops almost sent her overboard. They got to the hospital within seven minutes flat, and Lucy vowed to never write with Levy in a crisis again.

"I'll let you go. I'll go see how the rest of the team is doing," Levy said, and Lucy saluted before running off to Natsu's room, which the receptionist said was 513. Bounding down the hallway and dodging a few nurses, Lucy was desperate to find him. When she finally saw the room, she tiptoed in and saw Natsu hooked up to a bunch of IV's and machines. His leg was bound up and his face was bandaged.

"L-Luce?" Natsu asked after seeing her standing there, and Lucy gasped. His voice was raspy, and all she wanted to do was comfort him and fix it so she could take him home. They could spend time watching Netflix and eating popcorn and have a good night. Natsu didn't deserve any of this.

"Hey. How are you doing?" she asked, and he grinned. It was the only Natsu-like thing about him at the moment.

"I wasn't hurt that badly. The doctor said all my bleeding was internal. That's where my blood is supposed to be," Natsu said, and Lucy smiled and shook her head.

"You really had me worried back there," she said, and Natsu shrugged.

"Well, at least with this cast I look badass," Natsu told her, lifting up his leg the tiniest bit. He winced at the pain, and Lucy's eyebrows rose at his expression.

"Is–Is there anything I can do to make you feel better? You want some food?"

"Maybe later, Luce. There is something I want more than food." Natsu said, and Lucy laughed.

"More than food? It must be pretty important then. Alright, what is it?" Lucy shook her head again, wondering what the heck he must want that would be more important than filling his belly.

"I want a kiss."

Lucy's blood turned to ice as her mouth dropped open. He wanted a what?!

"You-You want me to kiss you?" she asked, and he motioned her to come closer so he could whisper in her ear.

"More than anything in the world," he whispered, and she shivered as his warm breath tickled her ear. Lucy smiled as she stared into his eyes, and he wrapped his arms around her neck and pulled her to him.

Their lips met softly at first, but slowly became much more intimate as it deepened. Lucy grasped Natsu's locks as she pulled him flush to her, and Natsu held back the tiniest of moans when she carefully slid her tongue into his mouth.

They kissed for a few more moments before deciding to stop, and Natsu grinned wider than he had ever before when they broke away.

"Wow, Luce. I shoulda kissed you a long time ago," he said, wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his shirt.

Lucy flushed, turning away. How long had he been waiting to kiss her like that?

"Nuh-uh," Natsu said with a smirk, grasping her chin with his palm gently and turning her face toward his. "This is a game, Luce. And I'm playing for keeps."


	8. A Little Party Never Killed Nobody

A/N: This is as closest to smut I'll ever get, so eat it up while you can haha

* * *

Natsu Dragneel tipped his hat toward the women sitting at the bar in the speakeasy. Giggling, the ladies gave him looks of interest as he sauntered by, looking back to smile at them. They were gorgeous, but neither one of them was the dame he was searching for.

He put his fingers in his belt loops to convey presence, and boy did it ever help. People all over were staring at him, and it wasn't just because of his pink hair underneath his hat. Natsu let out a short sigh before setting his eyes on his target.

It was hard being the most notorious gangster in 1920's Magnolia. Everyone gasped when he walked by, even if he wasn't going to shoot them. Sometimes people would just hand over their wallets and run away, and Natsu never complained when that happened. A little extra cash never killed nobody.

The woman in his sights fluttered her eyelashes at Natsu as she sang, the fringe on her dress flipping in the air as she twirled. Men all around her fawned over her, but she knew she was his and only his. Natsu Dragneel held her heart and all the gorgeousness that surrounded it, and he was a lucky, lucky man.

He hadn't seen her for so long that she was quite the sight for sore eyes. They had met at another speakeasy like this one, and he had tried to arrest her for both dancing and drinking at a terrible place such as this one.

"You have a wallet, doll?" he had asked, pressing his gun up to her beautiful curves. He hated how she was so gorgeous. Her cleavage was practically staring him in the face, begging him to squeeze it. Jerking his eyes back to his perp, he saw her eyelashes flutter when his eyes caught hers.

"No, mister. But I do have a bed at home, and I think you'll find what's underneath my dress covers less of my breasts you seem to love so much," she said with a gorgeous grin, and his eyes narrowed. Gulping, he pressed the gun closer. He would not allow himself to be tricked by this woman!

"Who says I wanna look underneath your dress, lady?" he asked, and she stared owlishly at him before bringing him behind the red curtain that she danced in front of.

That night, Natsu Dragneel became a man, and he made Lucy Heartfilia a fine woman. Not that she wasn't one already. But damn, how that girl could move! He swore that his ass hurt for the next three days after she had played with it for so long. Natsu only wished that she could say the same for Lucy.

Her short blonde hair bounced as she lifted her hands in the air and pressed them against her body, placing them against her assets which only drew his eyes lower than her face. Beside him, people stepped out of the way as Natsu approached the stage with a smirk, staring up at the woman who he had fallen for. Thankfully she ended her song with a flip of her locks, bowing to the crowd before trotting off the stage.

Finally, he saw the woman he had tripped and fallen head over heels for two years prior. She was as gorgeous as they come then, and she definitely was now. His eyes dipped to her legs as she walked, and Natsu was so damn enthralled just watching her walk that he didn't notice when she was right in front of him, staring at him expectantly.

"Heya, doll. Wanna come spend some time with me?" Natsu crooned, putting his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close to him. He hoped that he'd be able to get lucky tonight. Her lips were so tempting that he could just-

"No thanks. I've a previous engagement," she said, tilting her head to look him straight in the eyes. His were filled with lust now, and hers were starting to get there. It just took a little more persuasion.

"C'mon, Luce. Let's go look at the stars," Natsu coaxed, and Lucy sighed. She loved him, so she didn't even have to contemplate it. Besides, she had fallen in love with him too. His strong arms had held her so softly that night, and oh how he filled her up like no one else could. She was surprised she could even walk the next day.

"Alright. As long as I can have a cigarette."

* * *

The two laid on a blanket on the roof of the speakeasy with a bottle of champagne, gazing out at the stars. Natsu was more focused on how Lucy's eyes lit up whenever she was excited, but he looked at the constellations above just the same.

"Luce," he said with a rare genuine smile, and Lucy looked at him.

"Hm?" she replied, staring into his eyes.

"Kiss me," he said, and Lucy barely had time to react before his lips were on hers. His mouth was warm with desire, and it wasn't long before Lucy wove her tongue into Natsu's open lips. Their kisses became more and more hungry as they grabbed at each other for any love that they had been deprived of for the last two years.

Natsu moaned loudly as Lucy nipped at his lower lip, causing heat to pool between Lucy's thighs. In turn she grasped his behind with a clawed hand, and Natsu's erection pressed hard against her midsection. He felt her heated breath on his skin as she lowered her mouth to kiss his neck and collarbone, his eyes rolling to the back of his head as she placed her hand on his member.

Lucy stroked it hard, earning a strangled cry from Natsu. "L-Luce!"

His eyes were wide as she took his chin ever so gently and tipped it down to whisper in his ear. Pausing for a few seconds, she stopped before uttering words that made Natsu more excited than he'd like to admit.

"C'mon, Natsu. Let's get outta here and have some fun."


	9. Millionaire, Playboy, Philanthropist

"I'm a people watcher. I like to survey people and see what their lives are like on a daily basis. And you, my dear," Loke said, kissing her hand, "are quite interesting. I'd love to spend some more time surveying your life...perhaps Friday over dinner?"

"Ugh. As if!" the blonde woman withdrew her hand from his grasp as if it were infected by his kiss, stomping away to her friends on the other side of the bar. Loke sighed heavily, tipping his glass toward him to peek inside once more. It was empty, just like his love life.

Ah well, so much for that one.

Taking a swig of his beer, Loke peered around the rest of the room to find his next plaything. Somewhat like a cat was he, ready to play at any time he pleased no matter if it was warranted or not. He would sometimes pounce on a victim of his choosing and discover that it was she that was more into it than he. Other times he would realize that she was just using him, which would wound him for a moment but he would get over it quickly.

Such was the game of love, and he found it invigorating. As he locked his eyes on his next target, he grinned and chugged the rest of his beer before sauntering over to her.

The woman's eyes locked on his, and he saw something there that he hadn't seen in some time. Empathy, but also an evenness that would rival his own. Oh, this was to be fun!

"Hello gorgeous," he said, reaching out his hand to take hers, "to whom do I hold the honor of speaking?"

"Save it," she said, and Loke's eyebrows raised. Well, he hadn't had that reaction in, well, ever.

"What?" he asked, and she now grinned.

"I know what you're doing. You're trying to trick me into bedding you. And do you know what, pretty boy?" the woman said, grasping his tie and pulling him down to her height. Turning his head, she whispered into his ear. "It won't work."

"Oh, but why not?" Loke's shock had manifested itself into banter, which surprised him. The woman quirked a pink eyebrow. "I'm everything you could ever desire."

"Ah, but you have a hubris. And I know exactly what it is." she smirked, and Loke involuntarily gulped.

"What is that, may I ask?"

"Rejection. You think you're too handsome to get rejected. You believe that women will fall for you because you're rich. And you have confidence in your smooth words that you will not fail. But guess what?" She finger-gunned at him, which was one of the strangest reactions he'd ever gotten from a woman. "You just did."

With that final blow, she sauntered past Loke towards the bar with a smile more gorgeous than he had ever seen.

* * *

Completely deflated, Loke flopped down on his bed alone, which wasn't something he thought he would be tonight. Most nights he had company that would keep him up until the wee hours in the morning completing interesting tasks.

This was not one of those nights.

With a sigh, he tucked his proverbial tail between his legs and curled up in bed. Sleep came fast to him; a feeling unknown by the former playboy.

Morning came in what felt like moments, and his alarm woke him up. 'Take Me to Church' blasted on his stereo, and he slammed it with a fist. Groaning at the time, he cursed himself for his late night of meandering around the bar. Flashes of pink hair pressed at the front of his brain, and Loke hated that.

That woman should be banned from bars indefinitely. Who the hell goes to a bar to not be picked up by a gorgeous man in a suit?

Finding that Gajeel was calling him, he tapped the green answer button on his phone. "What?"

"Sorry to wake ya, yer highness," Gajeel said, and Loke could hear his smirk over the phone. Why he had an asshole for a best friend, he would never know. "I found ya a new assistant."

"Who are they?" Loke answered, and Gajeel sighed.

"I don't have time to tell ya all the petty details. Just come to the lab and I'll introduce ya to her."

"Her?" The word came out inadvertently, and Loke grit his teeth. He hated that he was so damn predictable.

"Yup," Gajeel said, and Loke could tell by the silence right after that Levy was either right next to him, or the man really did have nothing else to say.

"See you in a few," Loke replied, his voice a little more chipper now. Clicking the button to hang up, he decided to get ready faster than normal.

He did have a job to do, after all.

* * *

"Good morning, Gajeel," Loke greeted as he entered the lab, straightening his maroon tie with a grin.

"Mornin'," Gajeel answered. He didn't have to say much other than what that word implied.

"What? I'm ready to meet my new assistant is all." Loke drank down a bit of his coffee as he turned toward the computer to check his messages, practically hearing Gajeel's smirk from behind him.

After sitting down in the chair and checking his messages, most of them being emails from girls wanting to hook up again, he swiveled around like an evil villain. "Alright. Bring her out, Levy."

Levy trotted out a few seconds later, and Gajeel's eyes followed her behind as she walked past him with a self confident grin on her face. The two had been married for years and had twins together, but that didn't stop them from humping each other with their eyes every day.

"May I present your new assistant, Miss Aries," Levy said in an announcer voice and a soft giggle, and Gajeel even chuckled along.

Loke always started with the feet and moved his way up. That was the only way to assess a woman's body for what it really was. He started at her feet, which she wore black pumps. A good choice. Her legs were toned, and her hips were shown off in her pencil skirt. Breasts were perfect.

But when he got to her face, his mouth dropped open.

"Pleasure to see you again, Loke. Or should I call you 'pretty boy'?" Aries said snidely before lifting a hand. Snapping, she fingergunned at him once more.

That was the moment that Loke the Lion knew he was doomed.


	10. Life's a Game

Natsu's eyes threatened to narrow at the customer in front of him. He stood at the counter with his slimy hand pressed on it, wiping goo all over the place. Natsu wasn't OCD, but the disgusting act squelched his cheerful attitude.

"I want that one!" he pointed at the person next to him with his other hand, a demanding tone to his voice. The person next to him sighed and shelled out the money, handing it to Natsu with a lifeless look in his eyes. They looked tired and bored, like they had been dealing with this person for quite a while.

Such was the life of a parent and a child. Not that Natsu would know, anyway. He was twenty six and didn't have any children of his own, much less a girlfriend. With a quiet sigh, he handed the cotton candy to the boy and grinned when they walked away. It finally gave him some peace to be able to think about what exactly he wanted with his life.

Pondering over the future didn't bother Natsu anymore. He knew he couldn't be at this damn amusement park forever. He had a degree in Computer Science, and this was one of the only jobs that he could find. It was the highest paying, of course, which didn't mean a whole lot. When he finally found a new job that actually paid him salary, he wanted to find the girl of his dreams.

She actually was in his dreams once. He had been in a field of golden plains, and she had waltzed up to him with a beautiful smile. Her golden hair fell down her back in waves, and his fingers ached with the desire to weave through the soft tendrils. She wore a v-necked casual white dress with a slight slit up the side that revealed the tops of her tanned thighs. Natsu's eyes threatened to wander, but she reached out her hand before his eyes could travel anymore.

"Come with me, Natsu! Everyone's waiting!" she said with that grin again. As they stared into each other's eyes with longing and love, Natsu reached toward her to grab her hand.

Sadly, it was then when he woke up from his dream, sweating and clutching his chest. It was thumping in his chest harder than he had ever felt, and his eyes were wide. He didn't know who it was, but he guessed that it was a girl that he was to meet very soon.

Four years later, he hadn't met any women that compared to the one in his dream. And now he was working at a crappy amusement park for barely above minimum wage even though he had a degree that he worked his butt off to earn for four years. Great.

The next customer wandered up to Natsu, but he went through the motions and did the transaction without a delay. He was too in dreamland to even realize that they were standing there standing at him.

"Sorry, what?" he asked, zoning back in.

"I said, do you have a tip jar? This is the best cotton candy I've ever had, and I want to thank you for it," the woman in front of him said, and Natsu's jaw almost dropped.

Describing her as beyond gorgeous was an understatement. Her hair was in a side ponytail, and she wore cargo shorts and a tank top which showed off her assets in a way he didn't even think he would have found attractive in the first place.

Closing his mouth and shaking his head, Natsu finally replied after her forehead wrinkled with a confused expression. "Yeah! We do."

He cursed himself for a second for being so uninteresting. He could have thrown out a one-liner or something like that, but it seemed more like a Loke thing to do than a Natsu thing to do. The man tossed out pickup lines like they were autographs, which ironically he signed a lot of as well.

"Great!" she held out a bill, waiting for him to actually pull over the tip jar in the back corner of the store to her. She couldn't see it until a moment ago when she tipped her head slightly to see the jar behind his attractive pink head. Maybe his green eyes had dazzled her a bit too much…

Natsu grinned at her, and she smiled softly back. Her smile was nice, he noticed, and they stood making dopey faces at one another for a few moments.

Natsu could stare and smile at her forever.

"Um… can I please put the tip in the jar please?" she asked politely, and his eyes widened.

"Shit!" he cussed, diving to the back of the store and grasping the empty tip jar, holding it out for her to drop the bill in. She giggled with her hand not holding the bill over her mouth, charming him a little more. She let go of the bill and it tumbled into the plastic jar and landed with a soft tap.

"What's your name?"

"Natsu Dragneel. And yours?" Natsu said, reaching out to shake her hand.

"Lucy Heartfilia. It's nice to meet you, Natsu!" she held out her hand to press her hand into his palm.

"Nice to meet ya, Luce!"

They dropped their hands to their sides, both looking down at their feet. Neither knew what to say or do.

"Luce," Natsu said, peering up at her. She looked up expectantly with a smile.

"Would you wanna go get some food with me? I mean, not carnival food. This stuff is junk," Natsu said, and Lucy chuckled and leaned over the counter.

Natsu's eyes grew large-she was revealing quite a lot of her creamy cleavage right then, and it was so tempting to him.

A grin on her face, Lucy grasped Natsu's chin and tipped his head so her mouth was close to his cheek. She kissed him on the cheek softly then, her lips gentle but firm. Then she pressed her lips to his ear, giving him his answer.

"I'd like that, Natsu."


	11. Fission

Levy thought this was an ordinary day. It would consist of burning holes through the back of her math teacher's head as he droned about showing work, eating lunch with Lucy, and possibly looking at Gajeel's stupid face.

Today was not one of those days. Gajeel had stolen her lunch-again. It wasn't as if he had stolen her lunch three times that week, leading Levy to go to class with her stomach grumbling.

"See ya later, shrimp!" Gajeel laughed uproariously, his big stupid body bolting faster than Levy's legs could possibly carry her. Shaking a fist, she raced after him anyway.

"Get back here, punk!" Levy yelled at Gajeel from across the hall as he ran away with her lunch. What the hell was up with him grabbing her lunch and running away? It was like he had a problem with her eating tuna sandwiches all day. Damn. She really enjoyed them.

As she glared at the small-time gangster as he swung around the corner, Levy crossed her arms and sauntered over to Levy with a sigh. Lucy smiled gently at her best friend before dropping her gaze back to the thick book she was reading.

"Did Gajeel get away from you again?" Lucy asked, not lifting her eyes from her book.

"Yes. It's hella annoying," Levy scoffed, frowning.

"You know, when you say 'hella' you sound a lot less badass than you're trying to be. You sound like a basic-" Lucy said, a soft smirk beginning to cross her face.

"I get it. No need to explain," Levy replied, holding up her palm to keep her best friend from talking-and making a social faux pas. Lucy enjoyed making up her own 'swear words', which further solidified her geek girl status. Levy wasn't quite sure how she and Lucy became friends because of their different social ties, but they had stuck together throughout eight years.

"I think I have a theory about why he takes your lunch everyday," Lucy said after a moment of scanning the book in her hand. Snapping it shut, Lucy pursed her lips and waited for Levy to respond.

There was silence between the two until Levy scoffed. "What's the theory, O' Wise One?"

"You two have fission."

"What the everloving fuck is fission?"

"Love, attraction, whatever you want to call it," Lucy said, covering her smile with her hand.

"Hell no. He's-he's stupid! And has major problems. Why would I like him?" Levy growled as her face scrunched up in disgust. Despite her protests, her face was starting to flush a little more than she'd like. Gajeel's stupid face was-a little attractive even though she hated him more than her geometry teacher's spitting.

"It's not as weird as you think," Lucy pointed out, "I mean, Natsu and I are complete opposites and we've been dating for quite a long time. Opposites attract, as they say."

"We're not opposites, Lu. We're exactly the same!"

"Riiiight," Lucy said, finger gunning at her best friend, 'Because you're 6'3 and have black spiky hair and steal lunches every day."

Levy rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless. "You know I meant our personalities, ya nerd."

"Yeah. I know."

With a smile, Lucy opened up her book again and began to read, giving Levy her leave. Levy pushed up the sleeves of her leather jacket, narrowing her eyes and beginning to march down the hallway.

It was time to get her lunches back.

* * *

"So, ya finally made it," Gajeel said. He sat on the ledge outside of the men's building, a smirk on his stupid face. Levy stomach growled as she saw multiple brown lunch bags littering the ledge, but she suppressed it in the name of a fight.

"Damn right I did. Now give me my lunches back, idiot," Levy said. Her eyes glared into his as he watched her with a smile that made her stomach clench.

"Not yet, shrimp," Gajeel replied, his eyes becoming a little darker. Grabbing two of the bags and approaching her, he smiled for the first time in quite a while.

Only the girl who he had affection for could make him feel such an emotion.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Levy asked, quirking an eyebrow and sighing. Surely this was one of his hair brained ideas to-

"What does it look like? We're gonna have lunch together, shortstack," he replied, a smirk growing on his face.

Levy opened and closed her mouth a few times before smushing her lips together in irritation. He had the gall to steal her freaking lunch every day for three days just to have lunch with her?

"I'm thinking no," Levy said with a frown, her tone dropping at the end of her sentence.

"And why not?" Gajeel frowned slightly as well, crossing his arms over his chest. Levy's eyes drew to his shoulders. Hm, she hadn't realized how broad his shoulders were before this…

"You stole my lunch for more than three days every week and then you decide to have lunch with me out of the freaking blue?"

"Listen up, shrimp. We've been rivals in this damn school for ages, and I wanted to keep beating you in everything. I realized somethin' though-you're better than me at everything."

"And?" Levy looked at her nails, realizing that her almond acrylics were losing their point.

"But you have a problem, shrimp. You're tiny."

"Excuse me?" Levy's hands balled up into fists as she stalked up to Gajeel, poking him with one of her nails in his chest. "I am not tiny!"

"Yer problem is yer metabolism. You need food every few hours, so the only way for me to get ya down here was for me to steal yer lunch every day." Gajeel began to chuckle as Levy pounded at his chest.

"You seriously wanted to have lunch with me that badly? If you wanted to, you could've just asked!" Levy yelled, gritting her teeth.

'Seriously?" Gajeel gently grasped her wrists with a gentle smile. Levy looked up into his eyes, feeling herself lose her anger. All he wanted was to have lunch with her.

"You wanna have lunch with me, Levy?" Gajeel asked, averting his eyes. Her eyes were more gorgeous of a chocolate brown than he had ever imagined in his head.

"I-I guess," Levy mumbled, dropping her gaze down to her feet as pink dusted her face. She hated how he made her feel this way. Why was it that Lucy was the one to open her eyes to this? Why wasn't she smart enough to see it before?

Gajeel handed Levy her lunch, sitting down on the ledge and motioning her to follow. Levy's feet carried her faster than she thought possible as she sat next to Gajeel, opening up the lunch bag he gave to her with ravenous intent.

They were so different, but so alike. Gajeel ate the same way she did-with a smile on his face and with the sandwich positioned diagonally. Staring at each other with a soft smile, they continued eating in unison.

Who would have known that they would be such a great match?

Stupid.


	12. One Last Dance

"I'd like to make a toast," Gray said as he lifted his bottle, grinning from ear to ear. "To the bastard who I thought would never get married. To Natsu!"

"To Natsu!" everyone echoed, downing a swig of their beer or throwing back their shot. Laughter ricocheted off the walls of the bar, and Natsu grinned and raised his bottle up in thanks.

"I never woulda thought you'd find someone either." Natsu clinked his bottle against Gray's, silently thanking him. He would thank his best friend later when he was good and drunk and his inhibitions were gone.

"Until I met Juvia, I didn't even think about getting hitched. The right girl can change your life," Gray said, and Natsu grimaced. Ever since Ice Princess and Juvia had gotten married and had their son, they had been more lovey dovey than even Natsu and his fiancee. It was a little weird seeing him be so sappy, but Natsu smiled at the thought. Years ago Gray wouldn't have said anything like that about someone, no matter what their relationship was.

"She's certainly changed Natsu's life, that's fer sure!" Gajeel let out a laugh as he drank the rest of his beer and called to the bartender for another one.

Natsu grinned as he thought of his fiance. She was as gorgeous and she was smart, and he was lucky as hell to have her. They had met in college and he became smitten sooner than he ever had in a relationship, causing him to fall head over heels for her within weeks. He knew he wanted to marry her, so he popped the question after a year of dating. To his excitement, she had said yes.

"Yeah, she's one of a kind," Natsu said as he tipped his beer back to finish it. His eyes looked around the bar lazily for a moment, counting all the couples that were spending time together that night. It was only a Saturday, but there were people out on the small dance floor swaying to the beat of a popular song. Natsu didn't pay much attention to any of the people until his eyes locked on a gorgeous blonde in the shortest shorts he'd ever seen and a babydoll top.

Her hair whipped around her as her hips snapped with every movement, and Natsu dragged his gaze up and down her body. Everything about her was toned, even her ass which tempted him with every shimmy. How she could even dance in those heels was beyond him, and he raised his eyebrows when she turned toward him and gazed into his eyes.

He pointed at himself, and she nodded. She wiggled her upper body at him then, and Natsu felt quite faint at just the sight of her cleavage. Tugging at his collar, Natsu turned toward his friends, who were all staring at him.

"I wasn't gonna go over there!" he protested, and everyone chuckled.

"C'mon, you gotta go over there now! You've only got one more night to do whatever you want before you get hitched. One dance isn't gonna hurt anything, Natsu," Loke told him, eyes wandering over the blonde as well.

"But I'm…!"

"If you don't go over there," Loke said with a catlike grin, "I will."

Natsu growled at the man, cursing his protective instincts. He knew that Loke would be bad for the girl. The man had a player streak of being a woman eater where he would chew one up and then spit her out, leaving her in the dust. He didn't want that to happen to her.

"Alright, fine. But don't tell my fiancee about this, okay?" Natsu turned to leave, raising his hand in the Fairy Tail sign they used when they were kids.

"Sure thing, boss," Gajeel yelled back with a smirk, but Natsu didn't mind.

The woman was now holding onto his tie, pulling him onto the dance floor. She looked even more gorgeous close up.

"What's your name?" she asked with a toothy grin, wrapping her arms around his neck. With her heels, Natsu was only just a bit taller than her, which was perfect for the close dancing they were doing.

"Natsu Dragneel. Yours?" he replied with a grin of his own. The woman's cheeks dusted with a pink, and he knew he charmed her instantly.

"Lucy Heartfilia. Pleasure to meet you," she said, pulling herself slightly closer to him.

"No, the pleasure's all mine, Luce," Natsu responded before making a confused face. "Do you mind if I call you Luce? Cause if you do-"

"Not at all," Lucy said, pressing her hand in a swooping motion across his chest, further and further down until she reached his abs. All the blood in his body rushed south, and Natsu fought not to think of her pushing her hand further down. He was engaged. What the hell was he doing thinking of another woman?

"Alright then. You want me to pick the next song?" Natsu asked, desperately wanting to move away from the situation. Lucy was so beautiful that he knew he wouldn't be able to help himself if she did want to sleep with him.

"Sure!" Lucy grinned again. Her smile was so gorgeous that he wanted to see it forever.

The sad part was that he couldn't.

"I'll be right back," he told her before moving toward the DJ and requesting a special song.

When he came back, Lucy pressed herself firmly against Natsu's body with movements that he knew was to be his demise. Letting out a breath, he secured his fate when he began to sing to her.

"I'm in love with the shape of you, you push and pull like a magnet too. Although my heart is fallin' too, I'm in love with your body," his rough voice growled as she thrust her hips against his, shimmying down slowly and back up. Natsu huffed as he felt her against himself, and he liked the fact that she was so trusting of him.

"I think I'm falling in love with you too, Natsu," Lucy said, turning around and grinding her behind against him, and Natsu had to bite his tongue to not let out a large moan. How could she be so damn tempting? He could even see her thong now!

Natsu bent over her as he wrapped his arms around her waist, dipping down to whisper in ear. "Let's get outta here, Luce."

Lucy cupped his face and kissed him fiercely before whispering in his ear. "I think you'll like what you see once you take these clothes off me," she sing songed, and Natsu whimpered softly.

Both of them stood up and danced for a few more seconds toward the exit, and Natsu looked over her shoulder to secure the fact that his friends were now gone. It had been about an hour since they started dancing, and it had gone by so quickly that he hadn't realized time had gone by.

Once in the car, Natsu started it and asked what hotel Lucy would want to go to. He wanted to be polite, but he could practically smell her wetness underneath her shorts and it was killing him.

"Magnolia Hotel, please," she said with a smile, and Natsu started the car and backed out faster than he ever had in his life. He was about to do something really stupid, but he didn't regret it one bit.

* * *

Natsu woke up around 6 AM with no alarm as the light shone in from the window in the hotel. Lucy was still asleep, which gave him tons of time to get to the wedding. As he made coffee, he sighed as he sat down on the couch next to the bed and stared out the window.

Today was the day he was to get married.

"Good morning, Mr. Sunshine," Lucy teased with a grin, stretching herself awake. Natsu smiled, jumping on her with a huge smile of his own.

"Good morning. How are you?" he asked, cupping her face in his hand. Her hair was like a halo around her head, and even though she had makeup under her eyes she looked like an angel. She was so damn beautiful.

"Well, I didn't sleep much last night. I had to go find my future husband and see what he was up to at his bachelor party. Thankfully I found him and he was doing more than alright. How about you?" she asked, a smirk rising on her face.

"I slept like crap. I was at my bachelor party and this gorgeous woman pulled me onto the dance floor and practically fucked me with my clothes on. My fiancee is going to be so pissed," Natsu replied, and Lucy chuckled.

"Oh yeah, I'm sure she's real angry right now that you had sex with another woman," Lucy said, barely containing her giggles.

"Especially in the room that we reserved for our wedding night! She's gonna rip my head off, Luce!" Natsu lamented, beginning to cry fake tears into his hands. After a few moments of faux crying, he looked into his fiancee's eyes with a goofy smile. The two burst into peals of laughter, falling onto the bed.

After the laughter died down, Natsu put his arm around Lucy's shoulders and looked at her intensely. Lucy's eyes widened as he gazed into her eyes, coming closer and closer and finally knocking foreheads with her.

"Luce," Natsu said, his voice a low whisper, "I would never cheat on you. Not in a million years. And today, you're gonna be my wife. So I want you to know that."

"I know, Natsu." Lucy closed her eyes with a soft smile, reveling in the moment she had with her future husband. There weren't going to be many moments like this that they were unmarried, so she knew that she better take it for what it was worth right now.

Sighing softly and stared into his eyes gently, she told him the same. "I will never cheat on you, Natsu Dragneel. You are my love, my life, and everything that I have ever wanted in a life partner. I would never abandon you like that for anything."

Natsu kissed Lucy then; their last kiss before the wedding. Their teeth clacked against each other's as Lucy deepened the kiss, rolling her tongue across Natsu's. He wove his hand through her hair as she reached up and rubbed her thumb across his jaw in desire.

When the kiss was broken, Lucy and Natsu smiled at each other for a few moments before falling back asleep together for a few more hours before their wedding. Lucy laid her head on Natsu's chest and fell asleep with Natsu following soon afterwards with the trust in both of their hearts and minds that they would never cheat on one another.

After all, it was always more fun when they were together.


	13. Old Habits Die Hard

Natsu swung his right fist in a right hook, hitting the punching bag square in the middle. Smirking at his aim, he repeated the motion again and again. Then, with his left fist. He needed to get stronger.

Her blonde ponytail flashed before his eyes, and he knocked the punching bag into the air and it hit the ceiling. Erza clapped from behind him, and he bowed sarcastically at his coach.

"How was that, your highness?" Natsu asked with a grin. Grimacing at his cut lip, he wiped it clean of new blood before looking Erza in the eyes.

"Good. You're getting stronger, Natsu. Now we need to train you to fight for real," Erza said with a soft smile, putting on her boxing gloves.

"I'm gettin' there, Erza. Just give me a few more days." Natsu tipped his head down.

"You don't have much time left. Are you positive she will be alright until then?" Erza replied as she threw a few practice punches at the bag.

"Yeah, she'll be okay. We've got time," Natsu took to the other side and uppercut the punching bag. Frowning, he pursed his lips and shook the hopes that she did have enough time out of his head.

It was time to train, not to worry about his girl.

"Ready?" Erza asked, squaring up to box with her trainee.

"Bring it on."

* * *

Lucy raised her hand, mentally crossing her fingers that the teacher would call on her. When she finally did, she answered the question. "Mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell."

After a few moments of rambling about cells in the body, Lucy finally quieted after the teacher rapped on his desk. Her classmates were giggling again.

"What's up with those coke bottle glasses?" One said to another snidely.

"Why is she wearing those clothes? They look like something my grandma would wear."

The teacher once again cleared his throat. "Quiet down."

Class continued for another few moments, and Lucy smiled when the bell rang. Finally, it meant lunch. She loved being in class, but she enjoyed spending time with people that actually liked her more.

* * *

"What's up with the long face, Lucy?" Levy asked, taking a bite of her sandwich. The cafeteria was full of people, most of which sent Lucy and Levy rude looks and glances. Lucy sighed, before beginning to tell Levy all of what happened today in class. Levy embraced her friend and sent a glare toward the girls who were making Lucy feel insignificant.

"You've been my best friend since I was in my fourth year, Lu, and I know you're way more amazing than people could ever know. Remember that time you outsmarted the snarky class clown and the smartest kid in class? That's the Lucy I know. And they don't know you as well as I do," Levy said with a smile, putting her arm on Lucy's shoulder after she hugged her.

"I know, Levy, but I just feel like my appearance isn't what it's supposed to be. These glasses and clothes are all I can afford. Ever since I left my father's house, everything has been tough."

"Don't worry, Lu! The right person will love you no matter what you look like. And who cares what they think?"

"I guess you're right, Levy. Thanks," Lucy said with a genuine smile now. At least she had one friend that was tried and true.

"Hey, nerd girl," Natsu said from behind her and Lucy turned.

"What do you want, Natsu?" she replied, practically growling. She liked Natsu, but he had a habit of interrupting people at the worst time.

"Ready to teach me some stuff I don't already know?"

"We'll be here a long time if I teach you stuff that you don't know," Lucy said with a smirk, and Natsu scowled.

"Let's get moving," Natsu said, hoping that she didn't see his blush as he turned away. She looked awfully pretty today with her blonde hair done up in a ponytail and her smile being just as gorgeous as it usually was.

"Okay. See you later, Levy!" Lucy waved to her friend as she walked away, and Levy smiled and waved back.

* * *

"How do you not understand this equation?" Lucy sighed, pressing her head against the desk in the lab room they sat in. Multiple students sat around the room, helping one another out with any assignments they had. Nothing would stop Lucy at this point from helping him, but he seemed distracted. His eyes flicked around the room and he fumbled with his pen as he scratched his head in irritation.

"This is hard! Luce, can't you just solve the problem for me?"

"I won't be there for the test when you take it, so no," Lucy replied firmly, and Natsu groaned. Positioning his pencil on the paper, he glanced at the equation one more time and hoped to the gods that he could figure it out.

When the door opened, he realized he didn't have any time left.

It was happening today.

"Well, well, look what we have here," one of the bullies in Lucy's class sneered, stepping over to Lucy and Natsu studied. "The bad boy and the loser. What are you two doing together?"

"You two can't be dating. It's just not possible. He's hot, and you're not. Just face it, Lucy, no boy's going to ever-"

Natsu suddenly stood, facing the bullies. Lucy flicked her gaze to him, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "N-Natsu?"

"Listen up. Lucy's been my tutor since I started at this damn school, and she's awesome. So just leave her alone, you bastards!" Natsu launched toward them with a fist, and one of the girls suffered a punch to the face before she could even flinch.

"Let's get outta here. These losers are going to get major detention when we tell a teacher tomorrow," one of the girls said, picking up the other girl and carrying her to the infirmary.

"Natsu, what was all of that about?" Lucy questioned, standing up immediately and running over to where he stood.

Natsu answered Lucy's question with a kiss.

It was firm yet loving, and she loved the feeling of his arms around her waist when he pulled her closer. Her eyes fluttered shut as she leaned into his kiss, running her hands down his arm. Natsu shuddered at her touch, snogging her for a few more minutes until they broke apart.

"What-What was that about?"

"Luce, I've been in love with you ever since you started tutoring me. I started takin' boxing lessons to figure out how to fight so I could get those girls out of your way. I don't care if they're girls, if they hurt the woman I'm in love with then they can catch these hands."

"Is that why you've been missing lessons?" Lucy said in shock, and Natsu nodded.

"Erza's been coaching me. I want to protect you, Lucy. I want to fight for you no matter what, and whoever bullies you can come face me first."

Lucy's eyes widened for a moment, and a shiver went down her spine when he rubbed her back softly. "You-you love me?"

"Didn't that kiss answer that?" Natsu teased, and the corner of Lucy's lips twitched.

"Yes, yes it did." Lucy pressed her hand into Natsu's palm, grinning at him. They were together, and that was all that mattered. Whatever would come their way, they would face it.

Together.


	14. Of Apple Cores and Dances

Levy tried to love her betrothed. She really did. He was handsome in his own way, and she enjoyed his company. The way his eyes lit up when he talked about his cat was something that she'd always admired-as a friend. If he found the right woman, he might fall head over heels. Natsu and Levy were more friends than they were lovers, and most of the time they spent alone together was talking about Levy's problematic crush on the guard who had never paid her a second glance.

One of those times was spent when Gajeel was on guard in the perfect place for Levy to stare at him out the window with a dream in her head of being married to him with twins-a boy and a girl. Natsu sat on the stoop, eating an apple noisily.

Her mind's dreams being interrupted, Levy growled at her betrothed and bustled to the other side of the room to brush her hair. When he saw her for the first time, she wanted to look her best.

"So you like the grumpy type, eh?" Natsu questioned from his position in front of the window in Levy's room as he aimed the apple core at Gajeel below.

"He's not grumpy!" Levy said from her side of the room where she brushed her hair. When there was silence from Natsu at the window, she became suspicious. He was like a toddler-anytime he was alone and it was quiet, Levy got nervous. Placing her brush in its' spot, she ran to the window.

"Natsu?" she asked, looking around. The man was nowhere to be found, as usual, but she could hear a familiar voice yelling obscenities up at her. A voice that she had heard only in her dreams and to the king.

Peering down, she found that Gajeel had his arms crossed and was staring up at her. Even from how far up she was, Levy knew his gaze was intense. She would love to be stared into by those eyes.

"Sorry!" Levy offered, throwing her hands up in the air with a confused expression. Gajeel threw one last word at her-which she knew was a bad one, considering how many times she had heard Natsu use it at people that won a game against him-and walked away to the other side of the castle.

Well, Levy thought sadly, at least she had brushed her hair that day.

* * *

"How dare you throw an apple at him!" Levy said once she found Natsu, who was hiding in his own room across the hall. Since becoming betrothed, Levy and Natsu had to sleep in rooms across from each other just in case he had to protect her. She found it silly-she had knights for that, and Gajeel was much stronger than Natsu as far as she knew. He could easily knock someone out with a punch, and with a kick he could do far more damage than Natsu could.

"Well it got him to look at you, didn't it?" Natsu chuckled, beginning to eat a chicken leg that the chef had brought up for him.

"You're despicable," Levy growled, but she knew Natsu was right. Without him, Gajeel would have never given her a second glance.

She just wished it would have been a little nicer of a glance.

"Damn right I am," Natsu said with a grin, and Levy sighed. He was hopeless.

A pause. "How do I get him to notice me again?" Levy asked, and Natsu finished his chicken leg before answering.

"There's a ball comin' up. Ask him to that," he answered simply, burping loudly and wiping his mouth with a cloth napkin.

"If he thinks I'm engaged to you, then there's no way he'd agree to that!" Levy protested, her hands balling up in fists. The last thing she wanted was for Gajeel to think that she was a cheater. And how was she supposed to ask him to the ball anyway? The only thing he knew about her was that she had thrown an apple core at him and apologized. That wasn't exactly enough to go off of.

Slowly, Natsu's lips curled up into a smile, which meant that nothing good was about to happen. Uh-oh.

Leaning over, he whispered in her ear an idea for a bet that was to end their engagement and start their happily ever afters. If it worked, everyone would be happy and spend their days with the one they loved. If it didn't, there would be hell to pay and turmoil would amuck throughout the castle.

* * *

"Natsu likes blondes, but I can't find one that he would even be semi-interested in in the entire castle! I've searched through every princess, duchess, and everyone else I can think of, Cana. This is hopeless," Levy wailed, throwing herself down on the bathroom floor as her friend combed her hair.

"Relax, shorty. We got this! I have a woman in mind that might be to Natsu's liking. She's smart, busty, and great with men who act like toddlers," Cana responded, tying her friend's hair in a cute bun and framing tendrils around her face. Levy gazed into the mirror with a smile, thankful that her friend was so good with hair that she could make a messy mop of blue look gorgeous.

"Thank you, Cana! Now," Levy said with a grin as she hopped off the stool that Cana had positioned her on. "Let's go find this girl!"

* * *

"Lucy Heartfilia, meet Princess Levy. Levy, meet Lucy. She's one of the maids in the castle," Cana introduced the two, and the women curtsied to each other. Despite their class difference, Levy quite liked Lucy for how she held herself with grace even though she was cleaning up dishes from the night's dinner.

"Nice to meet you, Levy!" Lucy greeted, jumping from the curtsy to give Levy a hug. The embrace was short, but Levy enjoyed the hug nevertheless. The woman oozed confidence just like Cana herself, but it was more of a kind confidence rather than Cana's that made men do a double take.

"So how do you know Prince Natsu?" Levy asked after the hug was over, dropping her hands to her sides and becoming her formal self once again.

"I don't really know him, to be honest," Lucy said, picking a piece of lint away from the hem of her dress. "I just kind of watch him from where he plays with his cat."

"That's kind of Levy's problem too," Cana replied, jabbing Levy in the ribs, "She stares at one of the guards all day cause she thinks he's got a nice ass."

"Cana!" Levy gasped, her face reddening. Lucy laughed, but her eyebrows knit in confusion.

"Wait, if you're engaged to Natsu, then why are you looking at a guard all day?" Lucy questioned.

"They set up a bet that if Levy finds someone more suited for Natsu, then Natsu will get Gajeel to dance with her at the ball," Cana told Lucy, and Levy's face flushed even deeper.

"And you think I'm more suited for Natsu?" Lucy asked, and Levy nodded silently as she was unable to speak.

Lucy thought for a moment, tapping her pointer finger to her chin. "Alright," she said finally, "I'm in."

Levy cheered, hoping that this would work. Natsu was going to have to put in a good word for her, and she would have to check up on him later.

It was time for the bet to be over.

* * *

A week later, the ball was in full bloom as flowers were in vases on every table and girls wore bright dresses. Levy herself wore a lilac dress that complimented her hair, which was done up in curls and pinned to the back of her head like her life depended on it. Cana had pinned over fifty clips into Levy's hair to aid her in keeping it upright when she hopefully had her dance with Gajeel.

"Ready?" Lucy asked, and Levy smiled at her friend. They had become more than just colleagues as the week went on-now they were friends, and Levy hoped that it would be for longer than just the bet lasted.

"Yes," Levy said, and Lucy grinned back. Lucy's blonde hair was tied back in a chignon, and her makeup was done artfully by Cana. She adorned a light pink dress that made her hair look like it was spun with gold and made a circle when she spun. That was the only request that the maid had-that her dress, no matter how it looked, made a big impression when she was spun around by Natsu.

And that it did, Levy grinned as she watched Lucy and Natsu dance together on the floor. By then, rumors had spread across the dance floor of how Levy had 'broken up with Natsu for a brooding knight,' and 'Natsu had retaliated by dancing with a woman that no one had ever seen before'.

"So you're the one who threw an apple core at me," a familiar voice said, and Levy looked next to her and saw Gajeel, who wore a black suit and a black tie. She flushed before throwing her hands up in the air like she did that fated day when they 'met'.

"Sorry about that. You know Natsu threw that, right?" Levy said, and Gajeel held out his hand as he bowed. He didn't even have to ask before Levy pressed her palm into his, and he swept her out on the dance floor without a sound.

"Obviously. Bastard's got bad aim," Gajeel chuckled, and Levy covered her mouth in a grin before reaching up and placing her hand on his chest. He was so tall that she couldn't reach his shoulder, but his chest would have to do.

It was quiet for a few moments as they danced, and Levy realized that Gajeel's stare was a little more intense than she had imagined.

"What?" she asked after moments of him staring at her, and Gajeel looked away to hide his flush.

"You're beautiful, Levy," he said, and Levy blushed heavily as she continued to dance with him. She liked the fact that he wasn't afraid to tell her what he felt. Gajeel had no fear of relaying what his feelings were, and she kissed him on the cheek to thank him.

At the end of the day, Levy's father and mother saw how much Gajeel liked Levy. Natsu and Levy's engagement was broken, and two new ones were formed. Levy and Gajeel were married the following spring after he proposed to her himself, and the twins were born a few years after.

When asked what their favorite memory of each other was later in life, Gajeel would always reply how gorgeous Levy looked apologizing to him that fated day when Natsu threw the apple at his best friend. And Levy would say how cute Gajeel looked when he flushed while dancing with her. None of it would have happened without an apple core and a dance, and both Levy and Gajeel were grateful for how they met.

It was a beautiful yet original story that would be told for years to come.


	15. Match

A/N: I wrote some Nalu this time! I hope you enjoy it! 3

* * *

It had been only two years since he met her, but it only felt like minutes. The words that her voice uttered when they first met echoed inside his head like a bell, and he craved to hear that sound again.

To see her smile, her hair, her eyes, everything. She was beauty in and of itself, and he knew that the system would keep them apart but wished that it wasn't so.

But it would. And that was what killed him inside.

* * *

"Sorry to keep you waiting!"

That first sentence out of her mouth sounded so melodic and beautiful that he could listen to her voice for the rest of his life and never get bored. She could read textbooks and he would listen, which was something that was amazing for him to even think.

Her blonde hair trailed behind her in a ponytail, which was one of his favorite things on a girl. They looked so cute and sporty when they wore it even when they weren't participating in a sport, and he loved how it swished behind them when they ran. The next thing that caught his attention was her big brown eyes that searched his as she stared at him.

"What's your name?" she asked, holding out her hand. It was delicate looking and dainty while his was large and engulfed hers while he shook it.

"Natsu Dragneel," he barely squeaked out, which was strange. He had been on so many matches from the system before but never had he ever felt so amazed by one woman. How was she so beautiful and graceful at the same time? It was like he was a clumsy mess around her and she was an elegant creature who could do no wrong. Even as she picked up her wine glass to drink, her fingers curled around it softly as if it were one of the most intricate things she had ever touched.

"I'm Lucy Heartfilia. Pleasure to meet you, Natsu!" Lucy replied with a smile, and it felt like all the air had been sucked out of his lungs. It would be an understatement to say that it lit up the room, no, it was the only one in the room. Most couples around them, Natsu realized as he took a drink and peered around the room, wore frowns or looked anxious as they sat with their matches. Sadly it was the norm to be sat next to someone who you despised or didn't get along with in general. Thankfully Natsu didn't have to deal with it this time.

"Ready to see how long we have together?" Lucy asked, and Natsu grinned softly before nodding eagerly. Most matches he had gone through wouldn't ever want to know how long they had with him out of dread, and Natsu was glad that he didn't have a match like that again.

Together, Natsu and Lucy clicked on the system together after creating the necessary calibration.

"Ninety minutes," Natsu said in shock, and Lucy's eyes met his for a moment. Continuing to eat their dinner quicker, they then made their way to the car where they would spend the remainder of the night together.

Natsu inhaled as he got into the car as it drove he and Lucy to the destination where they would stay, mind racing a mile a minute. Did that mean he had to…? Did she even want to? They would both need to consent to do that, and he didn't even know her that well other than that she was absolutely stunning.

"We don't have to, you know," Lucy said, breaking the silence. Natsu's eyes snapped over to hers, searching as if trying to find something.

"We don't?" he asked, and Lucy giggled.

"No," she said with another smile that seemed to suck the air out of the atmosphere. "You're not comfortable with it, and neither am I."

A few moments passed by, and Natsu grabbed Lucy's hand. Surprised, Lucy stared up at him with a confused look on her face.

"Thanks, Luce," he said, putting a hand on her head and embracing her for a moment. The sudden contact from someone she barely knew shocked Lucy, yet she leaned into him with a flutter in her heart that she hadn't felt before with anyone else.

Even though they had barely spoken and only had ninety minutes together, both Lucy and Natsu hoped that they would end up together.

* * *

Once the match ended, Natsu went home and took a shower like normal and changed into his pajamas, thinking of Lucy once more. His whole being ached; he just wanted to be near her again! She was so pretty and graceful and knew exactly how she felt on certain things, which really attracted Natsu to her. And he hoped that she felt the same way.

Was he really supposed to get another match right after this? He was probably going to get another ping from the system tomorrow, and he was definitely not looking forward to it. He hated wearing a monkey suit more than most things, but meeting with a few different girls in the span of only a few days was more aggravating than wearing a tie.

Natsu really wished he could choose his match, but that's not how the system worked. It had a 99.8% success rate, and as much as he hoped it wouldn't tell him about another match, it probably would. The thing seemed to find him matches quicker than most people, which left him scowling each time. Why did it have to happen to him?

Natsu growled, falling into bed and rolling over. He softened, however, when he thought of Lucy and how she was probably dealing with the situation. Sleep threatened to close in, and he let it. The last thing on Natsu's mind was Lucy and her beautiful smile before he succumbed to sleep at last.

* * *

"I'm Erza Scarlet. It's nice to meet you, Natsu," the woman across from him said, cutting up her steak with a vigor and biting into it quickly. Her eyes glared into his as if challenging him to do something stupid, which he probably would.

"N-Nice to meet you, Erza," he replied, and her eyes snapped up to his.

"You're afraid of me, are you?" she asked, and he shook his head violently although all he wanted to do was run away.

"N-No," he said, his eyes darting away. Biting at his chicken, he forced a grin at the terrifying woman.

"Hm. Care to see how long we've got?" Erza asked after he introduced himself, and Natsu nodded slightly. He really wanted to get out of there, but the system would find out and it would mean consequences for him. How bad could it be, really?

When the system prompted, they both clicked the screen in unison. Erza gasped and covered her mouth with her hand while Natsu ran a hand through his hair.

One year.

* * *

Spending time with Erza wasn't all that bad. They both told each other in their first conversation that sex was off the table, and that they'd spend time getting to know each other as friends. They definitely weren't compatible in any way, so why try to be?

In the course of the year, Natsu was more exhausted than he'd ever been. Erza had an energy about her that was much different than Lucy's. While Lucy was charming and had a quiet grace, Erza seemed to steamroll over everything in her path but still attract other men...somehow. She began dating a man named Jellal in their sixth month, and after she and Natsu's match had ended, Erza and Jellal got married and escaped the system together. If only it were much sooner, Natsu could only wish. The dark bags under his eyes from his previous match waking him up at four in the morning to go running weren't going to heal themselves, and it meant that Natsu was in for some heavy slumber before his next match arrived.

A week later, Natsu met another woman named Yukino who he felt he could get along with alright. She was beautiful in a quiet way, with big brown eyes that reminded him of Lucy's. She spoke so gently that Natsu could barely even hear her most of the time, which was definitely different than Erza's shouts. It was starting to get confusing with all of these previous matches in his head, but thankfully only Lucy stood out to him.

After Yukino fell asleep, he held her in his arms as she shook with fear in her dream. He had found out during one of their conversations that she had night terrors, and she needed someone to keep her stable during those times. Thankfully Natsu was there, but all he could think about was how Lucy felt in his arms.

He really should find her, he thought in the back of his mind, and hopefully they'd be matched again. All he could do was wait for her to find him again, and that was all he wanted. Their unrequited love would be the talk of the town, and the system, but Natsu didn't care.

All he wanted was for her to be in his arms again.

* * *

Weeks later, after Yukino's departure from his life, Natsu received a ping from the system.

'Congratulations,' it read, 'The system has found your one.'

Practically jumping out of the hot tub in which he sat, Natsu practically demanded more information.

"You have one day before you meet your final match and leave this world for a new one. The system has granted you to meet with someone before you go to get ready for your departure-"

"Lucy Heartfilia," Natsu blurted, and the system was quiet for a moment before approving his request.

"Well," Natsu looked in the mirror, seeing himself in his swim trunks and no shirt, "I better go change."

* * *

Lucy walked into the restaurant Natsu requested they meet in, sliding into the familiar seat once again. It had only been two years since she'd seen him, yet the excitement of her first match with him still reverberated throughout her body. She was practically pulsing with energy, but had to keep her smarts about her.

"Hey," Natsu said above her, and Lucy jumped but smiled when she saw him.

He was wearing the same button down and jacket that he was in when they met two years ago.

"Do you only have one outfit?" Lucy teased, and Natsu chuckled with a nod. The two sat down to enjoy their dinner and had light conversation until they knew no one was around to hear them.

"You got your perfect match today, right?" Lucy asked, lifting her fork to tap the circular system that each of them left on the table.

"Yeah, and we only have a day until both of us bust outta here," Natsu bit into his chicken, leaving a bit on his shirt, and Lucy grinned softly.

The two were quiet for a moment before an idea seemed to strike both of them at the same time.

"What if we were to fight it?" Lucy questioned, and Natsu's face covered in a wide language.

"You're speakin' my language, Luce. Let's get outta here."

Promptly dropping their systems in their water glasses, Natsu and Lucy headed out the door despite the security system guards going after them and sounding the alarms to grant a search warrant for the two. Escaping the system and fighting the police had never been as fun alone as it had been with the one they were in love with for the past two years.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading! Drop a review if you enjoyed :)


	16. Descend

A/N: I'm back and with an Izuocha commission from My Hero Academia! Hope you like! Leave a review if you do 3

* * *

"A-Are you sure this is a good idea, Uraraka?" Izuku asked, beginning to mutter while he put his bags in the bins for airport security, unfastening his shoelaces to his shoes and placing them in as well. He wasn't much good on planes, and he never had been. Ever since one of his missions had gone south when he was still a student, he had sworn off planes and anything else that flew. When he and Uraraka took their first pro-hero trip weeks after they graduated, she had to hold onto his leg to keep him from muttering that they were going to die while swearing up and down that they were not a couple.

In true Uraraka fashion, she put her hand softly on his shoulder and gave him a thumbs up with that beautiful smile of hers. It was one of the things that he loved about her so much, and that he wished he could confess to her along with all of the feelings mixed up around in his head. But just her being there with him made it seem like they were going to be the only two in that airport-the only two going on the plane that evening. And gosh, how he wanted to tell her that he honestly wasn't worried about going on the plane anymore. The only thing that was on his mind was telling her his emotions.

* * *

"You ready?" Izuku asked, holding out his hand to Uraraka. It would be the first time they ever held hands.

If they only knew that this is where they would fall to their near demise.

Nodding as she handed him a parachute, Uraraka grasped his hand and jumped just as one of the villains disguised as one of the flight attendants swiped at the heroes with a flaming fist. Cursing, the man growled and yelled down at the duo as they fell from the plane. Izuku should have realized that the attendant's eyes glinted a bit too much when he asked him what he'd like to drink, but at the moment he may have been enraptured just a bit too much with Uraraka's cute snore to notice.

As wind whooshed around the two, they continued to hold hands while they gazed into each other's eyes for a few short seconds. It made the moment so much more palpable when he looked at her. Her gentleness and faith in him and their situation made his anxiety ease just a bit. Even if their parachutes were to fail somehow and they were to die tonight, Izuku could still remember the softness of her hands in his.

Uraraka hugged Izuku then, shocking him into not noticing when she pulled the string on his parachute. Izuku did the same, and the two heroes held each other until they landed, grinning at each other like they had a secret that no one else but them would know.

No one else never heard a word of this, because that night Izuku and Uraraka shared their first kiss together.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading! Lemme know if you want me to write something for you commission-wise! 3


	17. Confess

A/N: Hey, hey! It's been a while. Here I am with another commission, and this time it's Renora from RWBY! I hope you will enjoy 3

* * *

This was it. The war was finally over, and it was time for a few things to happen. People to get back to their families, build the cities back together, and go back to what was normal.

It was also time for Nora to confess to Ren. It wasn't that she hadn't before-she had, definitely. It just was that it had been...weird since he placed his hand on hers and smiled at her like that. They hadn't taken a lot of time to talk about the future, or anything in general. Both Ren and Nora had been so busy trying to find everyone and tell them what happened that they barely made time for each other. And that was a problem.

'This is it,' Nora said, 'Time for me to ask him out on a date!' Her spirits lifted, she headed toward the newly renovated and rebuilt Beacon dorms and hoped that Ren had time to talk. Or that he would talk at all.

"Ren!" Nora exclaimed, finding him inside of their room with his pajamas on. It was relatively late, sure, but he usually didn't get ready in his pajamas until it was time for him to sleep. "Let's watch a movie in our pajamas. "Let's watch a movie. Together. Tonight. Whatever you want to watch is okay by me! As long as it's not one of those really stupid girly ones-you know I hate those-"

Ren didn't hesitate before interrupting Nora to nod and head to the dorm kitchens to make some popcorn. 'Finally,' he thought, 'I get to spend some time with her.'

* * *

"What did you think?" Ren asked, cutting into Nora's thoughts after the movie was over. She needed to find some way to let him know how she felt, but after that action movie her thoughts were mostly on the awesome fight scenes and how the main protagonist completely obliterated the entire army by himself.

"It was great, Ren! The fight scenes got me really excited for the next time we fight together!" Nora grinned, and even Ren mustered a small smile.

"Speaking of together," Nora spoke up after several moments of awkward silence, "Can I talk to you about something, Ren?"

"Sure, Nora. What were you wanting to talk about?" Ren asked, folding his arms over his chest as Nora began to speak. His eyes rested on hers as she babbled on like usual, and he noticed that her eyes were a particular shade of teal that day.

"We've been together for a long time now. Like, not together-together, but-"

Before Nora could even register what Ren was doing, he had his lips on hers.

It wasn't like him to act before thinking. He never even made food before he thought of exactly what he'd like to make and how to make it. Ren rarely made a strike on an opponent before thinking, the only exception being when he fought the Grimm that killed his parents.

But with Nora, he knew that this was right. She was going to confess, he knew, but she didn't have a need for that. They had been friends for so long that each knew what each other's thoughts and actions were to be before they happened, and the kiss was no exception. He knew he was going to kiss her before he even started the movie, and she did too. That was what it meant to be so in sync with one another that everything moved in perfect unison.

Once the shock settled down, Nora closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around Ren's neck and deepened the kiss slightly. Ren's arms encircled around Nora's waist as he pulled her closer, pulling her body flush to hers. After a few seconds, the two broke apart with flushes on their faces and making noises akin to what a sloth sounds like-awkward, embarrassing, and slow on the pickup of what just happened.

Finally, the two sat down next to each other much like they did on the plane, with Nora's head on Ren's shoulder and their hands on top of one another's. Reaching up, Nora booped Ren's nose with an embarrassed smile.

"Boop."

* * *

A/N: Send a message to me if you're interested in a commission! 3


	18. Scotch & Cherry Blossoms

A/N: This is my continuation of Millionaire, Playboy, Philanthropist for a commission for a friend of mine. Drop a review if you enjoy it!

* * *

"I gotta say, pretty boy, you've really outdone yourself here," Aries said with a smirk, peering around the lab in setup up the room was formulated with all of the latest technology, which didn't impress her, but something about the room enticed her. It could be the talking computer in the middle of the room, or maybe the coffee maker that popped a latte in her hand the second she walked in. It certainly wasn't the suave man in the suit that made her narrow her eyes whenever he said something smooth. Loke was attractive, yes, but that was almost his only redeeming quality.

Loke cleared his throat, snapping Aries out of her thoughts. "Shall we continue with our tour?" he asked, his voice sounding huskier than normal. Damn her pencil skirt, she thought as his eyes roamed up and down her legs, but she gestured for him to continue with a slight bow. Loke chuckled at her movement, and once she straightened herself up she noticed that his eyes were sparkling.

Focus, Aries told herself before following behind Loke and Gajeel around the lab. Work was the most important thing to her at the moment, she repeated mentally. She couldn't have herself falling for her boss, and especially someone like him.

She couldn't fall for someone like Loke.

Not again.

* * *

Hours later, the three went out for drinks to celebrate Aries' arrival to the team. After heading to the restroom, she met her new coworkers, Natsu and Lucy Dragneel. Lucy was heavily pregnant, and Aries cracked a joke about the baby being as clumsy as his father after Natsu knocked over his beer. Lucy cackled, elbowing her husband.

"I knew Loke picked a good assistant! I think you and I are going to get along just fine, Aries," Lucy said with a warm smile as she sipped her cherry soda. Aries smiled back, admiring the girl's beautiful looks. Aries had been told that she was gorgeous herself, but she definitely didn't compare to Lucy. Aries had legs for days and wide hips where Lucy was well endowed in areas Aries was not. It made her feel quite inadequate even though she hated to admit it.

Still, though, that didn't mean that Loke could keep his eyes off of her. She had gone to change in the bathroom, emerging wearing a fluttery lavender top, dark jeans, and heels that made her quite a bit taller. When she stared him directly in the eye after a few moments of sly glances from where he and Gajeel drank, Loke's eyes darted to his feet as he blushed.

"Loke said you were pretty, Aries, but I didn't think you were this pretty!" Lucy exclaimed, lifting up a lock of her new friend's hair. "Look at this! It's like the color of cherry blossoms!"

"Back the hell up. Loke said I was pretty?" Aries said, and Lucy dropped the strands of hair in surprise.

"You didn't know? When you went to the restroom, Loke told us how you met. He admitted that you were the only woman who has ever stood up to him instead of falling for his charms. And I guess that attracted him to you." Lucy guzzled down the rest of her soda before grinning at Aries.

By the time Lucy finished, Aries was heavily blushing. Loke was attracted to her? Sure, she knew that, but by how he acted in the lab when she showed up for the first time, Aries thought that he was no longer interested in her. It was becoming so confusing to catch up with all of the current events with the team that her head was starting to spin.

Turning the barstool where she sat, Aries ordered a scotch and chugged it before it could burn the back of her throat. She was young, but she knew that scotch wasn't a beginner's drink-and Loke's personal favorite. She watched his mouth fall open across the bar as she asked for another and smirked when his eyes started to sparkle again.

Two could play at this game.

"Holy shit," Loke whispered to Gajeel as he eyed the woman of his dreams, "I think I'm in love."

* * *

Coming back to work on Tuesday morning was rough for Aries to say the least. Her head pounded and her stomach in knots, she drove to work with coffee in hand and growled at someone who cut her off. Liquor wasn't the best for her, she knew, but she needed to forget a few things.

She needed to forget her attraction to Loke, and she hated the fact that even alcohol couldn't help that.

"My, my," Loke said when she stomped in, "Having a hangover, are we? Someone doesn't know how to hold their liquor."

"Shut up, pretty boy," she snapped, and Loke sucked in a breath when their eyes met.

They were such a beautiful brown. Although red-rimmed, they were like milk chocolate that had just melted under a warm sun. Aries narrowed her eyes as he stared into them deeply, ignoring the fact that his eyes were sparkling again. His own eyes were a shade of green like emeralds, and Aries wanted to peer into them for the longest time and discover their facets.

"Do you have a map?" Loke asked after a moment, quirking an eyebrow.

Aries sighed before answering. "No. Why?"

"Because I just got lost in your eyes."

"Save it for the next woman, pretty boy," she said, lazily finger-gunning at him before walking away to do her job. Paperwork needed to be done, hangover or no hangover. There was nothing stopping her from completing her task other than a talking computer she couldn't quite figure out, and even that was something that was easy to do if she was tenacious enough.

Loke watched her walk out of the lab and into the computer room, his eyes lowering to his hands.

What if-what if there was no other woman?

He was starting to fall in love with his assistant, and there was no stopping it.

* * *

A/N: I really enjoyed writing Lories, and I hope I have the pleasure of doing so sometime soon!


	19. Lattes & Kisses

A/N: And this is the third and final part of my Millionaire, Playboy, Philanthropist series for a friend! 3

* * *

Pacing around in his room wasn't where Loke expected to be tonight. He would much rather be at a bar picking up a woman to spend the night with, or throwing down some shots with the boys.

Instead, his mind was indefinitely on Aries.

What was it about her that made his head spin? Was it the beautiful outfits, stunning figure, or even those finger guns that made him laugh no matter how many times she did them?

Or maybe...it was that he couldn't figure out why he enjoyed her company so much. She was kind of an enigma, and her brain was an endless puzzle. And oh, how Loke enjoyed puzzles!

Shaking his head with a sigh, he flopped down on the bed and put his head in his hands. What was he going to do? She definitely didn't like him like that. She certainly seemed like she was disgusted when Lucy revealed that juicy secret at the bar earlier. And when he tried to pick her up the first time...well, that went just about as well as mixing oil and water.

Deciding to go to sleep instead of stay awake and drive himself into a tizzy, Loke tucked himself into bed and pulled the covers over his shoulders before falling into a deep dark sleep.

That night, he dreamed of her.

* * *

"Mornin', pretty boy. Is that coffee for me?" Aries said as she rounded the corner, smelling the sweet and robust aroma of her favorite coffee drink.

"No, this butterscotch latte with extra whip and no foam is definitely for me," Loke said with a smirk, his lips barely touching the disposable mug before Aries swiped the beverage out of his hands.

"Thank you, dearest boss," she said with a winning smile before taking a drink, indulging in her morning happiness. Loke's face warmed, and he turned away and covered it with his hand.

Indirect kiss.

He had only dreamed of kissing her last night (and woken up with a rather unfortunate problem to deal with), but this was close enough. It was almost enough to make him confess his feelings right away, but Loke straightened up. They had a job to do.

"Now that you've had your morning cup, we have work to finish." Loke coughed to get rid of the awkwardness he currently felt, barely able to keep himself from flushing again when she quirked an eyebrow and stared him directly in the eyes. It was bad enough that she was so damn cute when she enjoyed something so thoroughly, but when she made that expression and looked at him like that it was almost too much to handle!

"You okay?" Aries asked, rushing up to her boss after setting her cup down. Placing a hand on his shoulder, she tipped her head up to look at him. "You look a little flushed."

"I'm fine," Loke lied, choking back a strangled cry when she touched him for the first time. Her hand was like a wildfire on his body, and there wasn't anything that could extinguish the flame but more touch.

"We better get you to a doctor, pretty boy. Don't want you to faint on the job, do we?" Aries said with another smile as she shrugged lightly, and Loke fought a gasp. She was so...motherly!

"I said I'm fine. Let's go get some work done, shall we, princess?" he replied, smoothing his persona over his frazzled nerves. If he didn't get some distance between the two of them, he was done for!

"Hold on." Aries put a hand up then squinted as if trying to read something with tiny print. "You're flushed, sweaty, and barely able to call me one of my pet names. You-You like me, don't you?"

Aries herself could hardly believe it. He liked her? Like, more than anyone else? Sure, he had small crushes on waitresses and bartenders, but it was interesting seeing him actually attracted to someone for once.

And that someone had to be her, didn't it? What the hell had she gotten herself into?

She had told herself never to fall for someone like him again. But here she was, wondering if she was...and for real this time. Despite blowing him off when she first met him, Aries had found herself thinking about him almost too much on her days off. It was going to be detrimental to her boyfriendless streak if she did what she wanted at this moment, but that didn't bother her as much as it did in the past.

Taking her hand that was on his shoulder and cupping his chin with it instead, Aries leveled a thinly veiled glare at Loke. The man looked as if he was shaking in his boots when she began to speak.

"Listen, Loke. If I'm going to do this very stupid thing at this moment, I need to know something. Do you actually like me?"

Loke was silent for a beat, and then opened his mouth to respond. "More than I've liked anyone in the world, princess."

Aries' dazzling smile was the only thing he remembered before she pressed her lips to his, and Loke pushed back a grin as he threaded his hand through her hair. She tasted like her butterscotch latte but smelled like cherries, and those were two things that Loke knew that he would never forget.

When the two broke apart, their glances were embarrassed as they both flushed softly. The kiss was gentle, but left each hungry for more. Loke made the move to wrap his arms around her and kiss her this time, his mouth roaming over hers as she put her hands on his shoulders.

"Now I know why you're a hit with the ladies," Aries teased with a smile when they came up for air.

"I don't need all of those ladies. I just need oneA," Loke replied, twirling his girl around and dipping her low in his arms. As he pressed his lips to her cheek, Aries giggled when he lifted his lips to whisper in her ear.

"You're my princess, Aries. Forever."

* * *

A/N: I definitely enjoyed writing some cute kisses for my babies. Awwwww. Hope you enjoyed the story too! 3


	20. Alone Tonight

A/N: This isn't really a commission, but I wrote this for a friend for a Valentine's Day fic exchange for a friend! I hope she enjoys it :)

Happy Valentine's Day, friends!

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As Natsu threw back his second whiskey at the bar, he realized that it had been years since he had a valentine. His first one was Katie when he was young and still in high school. She dumped him for one of his good friends. His best friend, actually, Natsu thought with a scowl as he ordered a shot. It was better to get wasted tonight than to think about his past.

Getting away from his past was one of the reasons that he enrolled in the military. With no parents to tell him to enroll or not to enroll, he made the decision himself and pulled through a war and most of his friends dying alongside him in that war.

With a sigh, he decided to just sit and order a soda. Maybe it really was time to revel in the past instead of getting wasted. It was all he'd ever done, and he hated drowning out his feelings with alcohol, drugs, whatever he could get his hands on.

As Natsu drank his soda, he noticed a woman about his age sit down at the bar not far from his seat. Dressed in a low cut dress and heels with a beautiful necklace to top it all off, she sure was a stunner. Her blonde hair and brown eyes would have gotten his attention any day, but what really caught his eye was the look on her face.

A frown, he thought to himself, was not the expression he pictured her wearing most of the time. The woman looked like she'd rather be somewhere else, but here was where she was. Alone, just like him.

On Valentine's Day.

Sipping his soda once more, Natsu peeked over at the woman once again. She ordered a whiskey like he just had, surprising him. That was his drink, he thought, and a whisper of a smile crossed his face. He didn't want to be a creep, but she kind of interested him a bit and he wanted to get to know her more.

Before his mind could tell him otherwise, he was next to her and she was staring at him like he was crazy. Eyebrows raised and eyes drilling into him in a way that told him that she'd throw a punch in a second, Natsu asked if she would mind if he sat next to her.

She stared at him with the same expression and that frown on her face with a few more seconds and then relaxed.

"Go ahead," she said, her voice melancholic. "I don't have anything else to do tonight anyway."

The silence was so thick that it felt like it had to be cut with a knife. Natsu had no idea how to ask why she was here without sounding really weird. A, 'How'd a girl as pretty as you end up here on Valentine's Day,' would sound like he was hitting on her. And he didn't want to make her feel more uncomfortable than she already looked.

"Why are you here?" she asked, breaking the silence between them as she downed her drink.

"If it bothers you that I'm sitting here, I can leave," Natsu told her, ready to get off his seat and leave if she wanted him to. He had been rejected multiple times; he knew the feeling well.

"No, I mean what are you doing here on Valentine's Day? Mira's bar isn't somewhere people usually end up on the day of love," she replied, a sarcastic grin ghosting her face before the frown replaced it again.

"I dunno. I don't have a girlfriend, and so I just kinda found this place when I was out. Why are you here?"

"My ex-boyfriend broke up with me tonight," she said, shaking her head.

"That bastard! So he cheated on ya and then broke up with you? What an asshat," Natsu said, and the woman cracked a smile for the first time that night. It was beautiful, and he hoped to see it again soon.

"What's your name?" he asked with a grin of his own.

"Lucy," she responded. "What's yours?"

"I'm Natsu Dragneel. Nice to meet ya, Luce!"

"Cheers to being single?" Lucy asked, raising her glass.

"Cheers to that." Natsu clinked his glass to hers.

Even though they were alone tonight on Valentine's Day, at least they could be alone together.

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A/N: Thanks for reading! I hope you had a lovely Valentine's day no matter who you spent it with :) Until next time!


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